and it’s not just weekends. it’s summers that were over before you remembered to soak them in. it’s the season you meant to make the most of. a month that passed in a blur of routines, obligations and the same four walls, and suddenly you’re looking back wondering where it all went. time has a way of doing that—moving at a pace that feels perfectly fine until you look back and realize you can barely account for any of it at all. the new year starts, then you blink and it’s april. it’s summer, and then BOOM christmas is here, another year practically over.

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i often find myself thinking of how i wish i could pause time, just to stay in the best moments a little longer. to linger without it feeling like a waste. those moments of longing for time to slow down always make me nostalgic for my childhood. i get homesick for a time i can never go back to. when life felt easy and simple joys felt like magic. time seemed to move slower, each month getting to carve out its own moment in the year.

i remember each season of the school year feeling so defined and drawn out. september, the start of the new school year, and halloween was ages away. then we all dressed up, had a class party, and then the next thing was christmas, ages away again. it always seemed like we had so much time. it never felt like the valentines day party and st. patricks day party were almost sitting on one another, fighting for our attention. by spring, rather than feeling like the school year was almost over, it still felt like there was so much time ahead. then we’d go on summer break, and it felt like school was a distant idea, something that would eventually come but there was unlimited time before that to play outside, go to summer camp, a family road trip, to watch movies and have sleepovers with friends. it never felt like one season was right on the heels of the next. time stretched and lengthened, and i think thats what i miss the most. i miss how much time it felt like we had. like the glass that used to be half full is now half empty instead.

i’ve looked into why time felt so much longer when we were kids, and a big part of it is how much of your life one year took up. when you were 10, a year of your life was one tenth of your whole life, each year and memory still feeling so distinct. but by 30, a year is a 30th of it—memories blending together, weeks passing at a 9-5 where each day feels the same. and that makes sense, but i still can’t help but feel a bit robbed of time feeling long enough.

i felt like there had to be a way to make it pass slower, feel longer. and then i thought back to those same memories of childhood and of school… the regular mundane days do (for the most par) blend together into one memory. but what stuck out to me then, still sticks out to me now. the moments we (or our teachers, bless them) carved out. the themed worksheets and class parties for each holiday—big or small—with decorations, treats, and a movie on a big tv wheeled out of a closet. the breaks in the year for christmas, spring break and summer vacation. the field trips to look forward to. even outside of school—the joy of going to zellers (iykyk), waiting patiently through an hour shopping and finally getting to pick out a new toy wrapped in too much plastic and impossible to remove metal ties. the holiday decorations that magically appear from storage, the late summer family road trip we took every year. all of it stretches the year out, making each month and each season feel fully it’s own. as adults, we kind of lose that. work doesn’t care if its valentines day this month, and for most of us there is no summer or winter break. every day is the same: work, home, sleep, repeat.

so what can we do to slow it all down?

thankfully, time isn’t entirely out of our hands. it bends. it stretches. it changes depending on how you move through it. the summers you remember most vividly, the weekends that felt genuinely long and full, the trips that contained more life than their length should have held—those didn’t happen by accident. they had contrast: between excitement and things to look forward to, and moments that were allowed to slow all the way down.

you can’t add hours to the day, but you can change the way those hours feel—both while you’re in them, and later, when you’re looking back. here’s how:

to slow down time

i. plan ahead

one of the ways time slips by unnoticed is when there’s nothing on the horizon. days without anything to look forward to have a way of blurring together, moving at the same flat pace until suddenly a month has passed and nothing in it stands out in your mind. the lack of anticipation makes the future feel empty, and then the present ends up feeling that way too.

remember being a kid looking forward to christmas, and each day felt like it was crawling by, as if time slowed just to taunt you? having something to look forward to changes the quality of all the days around it. the week before a trip feels different to a week with nothing ahead. the days leading up to a dinner you’ve been excited about, a visit from someone you love, a weekend with a plan —they have a certain texture to them. that anticipation part of what makes the time feel longer and more lived-in. sometimes it’s the preparation and tasks, but sometimes the excitement alone has a way of making every hour feel like two.

planning ahead also sneakily solves another problem: it means you actually do the things you want to do, instead of reaching the end of a season and realizing you never got around to any of them. the weekend by the coast you kept meaning to take. the restaurant you bookmarked six months ago. the day trip, the farmers market, the friend you’ve been meaning to see. intention without a date rarely comes to fruition. planning allows you to fit more of what you want into your days, carving out specific memories to look back on.

things to try:

• at the start of each month, write down 3-5 things you’d like to do before it ends. not a proper to-do list or obligations, but just things that would make the month feel memorable. a day out, a dinner, something seasonal, something small. these don’t have to be grand plans—most of us can’t afford to have a big trip or something planned each season.

• keep a loose seasonal list: things you want to do before summer ends, before the cold comes back, before this chapter closes. not to create pressure, but to keep them visible and reachable. when you keep a little list of things you want to do, it helps put them top of mind so you actually end up doing the things.

• mark the time. mark your plans on a calendar, and check off each day leading up to your plans. it helps on a practical level—helping you see your schedule and keep on top of things, but also helps you visually mark each day passing. not letting any of the days slip by unaccounted for.

• look forward to small things too, not just the big ones. a specific candle you’re saving for friday night, a recipe you’re planning for sunday, a book you’re starting on the weekend. anticipation doesn’t have to be huge to work. make the small things exciting too.

ii. start your weekend on friday

somewhere along the way, the weekend started waiting for saturday mornings. friday evening often gets swallowed by the work week— between feeling too tired to do much, but too wound up to properly rest. then, when saturday arrives, it feels like the weekend is half-gone before it’s even started.

friday evening is time that belongs to you. protecting it means walking into saturday already feeling like you’ve had something for yourself. like the weekend has already begun to give back. it can be as simple as a dinner you actually sit down for, something low-effort and enjoyable. a glass of wine and a movie, a walk before it gets dark. let ie be anything, it just needs to feel like it belongs to the weekend rather than the tail end of the week.

and then there’s sunday. don’t save your errands for sunday. this sounds like a small logistical preference, but it’s actually pretty significant. doing the grocery store run, the life admin, the necessary but uninspiring tasks on a sunday doesn’t just take up time, it feels like losing a day. there is a particular dread to a sunday afternoon errand run that feels like saying “the weekend is over now, back to productivity.” sunday has its own mood to me. its a slower paced day, and filling it with obligation changes that mood entirely.

things to try:

• designate friday evening as the start of the weekend, even if it’s quiet. have a friday ritual: a specific drink, a movie night, a takeout meal. something that signals to your brain that you’re now in weekend mode (the second-chillest version of you, only outpaced by vacation mode).

• batch your errands on saturday morning, ideally early-ish, so the rest of the day opens up. get them done and out of the way before the weekend has fully warmed up.

• protect sunday afternoon as much as you can. make fun plans: shopping and lunch with a friend, a delicious sunday roast, anything. the less sunday resembles a weekday, the longer the weekend will feel in memory.

iii. pair movement with stillness — the art of contrast

this is perhaps the most counterintuitive piece of it, but also the most important: going too fast makes time disappear. a weekend, a trip, a summer packed full with things to do blurs into a single memory—busy, fun, exciting, but gone in a flash. when everything moves at the same speed, the speed becomes invisible. time flies when you’re having fun because nothing in it slowed down long enough to be noticed.

to me, it’s about striking a balance. too much stillness creates its own problem: the days blur together in the opposite direction: soft and indistinguishable, where nothing really happened at all. a week of pure rest is indulgent, but rarely the week you look back on because nothing in it broke the rhythm enough to stand out. it all becomes one comfortable but unmemorable thing.

what actually stretches time is the contrast between the two. you know those days where by mid-afternoon, the morning seems like a distant memory? thats how you know you’ve hit the balance. a busy morning followed by a slow afternoon. a high-energy trip day followed by an evening that goes nowhere. the pace change is what makes it feel like you lived a few days inside of the same one. your brain forms stronger, more distinct memories around change of pace and setting.

now i don’t mean sleeping the hours away, but think of it as conscious stillness. the kind of rest that you choose, rather than collapse into. an hour on the porch with a book and nowhere to be during a vacation. a quiet evening around the table playing cards with people you love after a day of adventure. a slow morning that isn’t trying to become anything else. that kind of rest helps anchor the day.

things to try:

• when planning a trip or a busy weekend, build in deliberate slow moments. not just gaps between things, but actual intended stillness. a morning with no plans, an afternoon on the porch or sitting by the water, an evening playing cards with a glass of wine.

• notice the moments when time slows naturally—a conversation that stretches, a meal that lasts, a walk that takes longer than expected—and resist the urge to fill what comes after. let those moments breathe on their own.

• try bookending your days on trips or fun weekends: busy middle, slow start and end, or vice versa. a relaxed morning coffee, a full day of exploring, a quiet dinner with no plans after. a pause in the middle of the day to unravel.

• for rest that actually registers as rest, make it specific. a blanket on the porch, a particular book, a cup of tea or coffee. create an atmosphere and moment. the more intentional the rest, the more restorative and memorable it becomes.

iv. break it up

there’s a reason childhood summers felt endless and adult ones feel like they’re over before they started. it’s not entirely about having more free time, though that’s part of it. it’s that childhood summers were full of firsts and changes. new experiences, shifts in your regular routine, and days that looked different from the ones before them. meeting new friends at a park, going to summer camp, a family vacation to a new spot. a summer of “sameness”, even if it’s good, compresses in the mind. a summer filled with difference—a trip, a slow week, a few weekends with plans and a few without—stretches and lengthens time.

variety doesn’t have to mean constant activity or an exhausting schedule of plans and events (as an introvert, for me it can’t). it means enough change of pace, place, and experience that the days don’t all fold in on each other. a weekend at home can feel completely different to the one before it if one involves people and plans and the other involves books and silence with nowhere to be. different is what registers and breaks up the time.

this is also why the things you keep meaning to do but never quite get around to matter more than they seem. not because they’ll change your life, but because they break the pattern. a new restaurant, a different walking route, a day trip somewhere you haven’t been—these small acts of newness are what give a stretch of time its shape and make it feel, like it really happened. it gives you something to look back on, so when the years pass you have firm memories.

things to try:

• try one new thing per week, however small. a new recipe, a different coffee shop, a route you haven’t walked before. novelty doesn’t have to be expensive or elaborate to register.

• alternate your weekends intentionally—one with plans and people, one quieter and closer to home. the contrast between them makes both feel more distinct.

• for longer stretches like the summer, plan a loose shape: a road trip, a few day trips outside of the city, some intentional downtime, celebrate any holidays— enough variety to break up the time.

• lean on traditions. my husband and i have traditions we do every year each season that really mark set moments in time. our autumn road trip, a cottage stay for my birthday in february, our anniversary staying at the historic inn we stayed at on our wedding night in august.

• do at least one out-of-the-ordinary thing per season. something you’ll really remember—a day that broke your usual pattern in some small or significant way. example: host a dinner party, book a night away somewhere you’ve never been, take a class.

reflect:

• at the end of each month, write down five things that happened. to look back on, and to reflect. if you struggle to think of five, that’s helpful information. it means maybe that season didn’t hold enough, so you can brainstorm what you want to include for the next one.

v. be present

this goes without saying, but i feel i should include it anyways. be present in the moment. time will fly by completely unnoticed if you don’t pause to really see it. sometimes it feels like a loss, looking back on a moment and realizing you were there, but not really. you were in the moment, but half-thinking about something else, half-scrolling, half-composing the memory before the moment had even finished. and then you look back and the memory is thin and hard to picture. not because nothing happened, but because you weren’t fully there when it did.

presence is what turns time into something you actually get to keep. you can plan the perfect weekend, build in rest, vary the pace, do all the right things—and still walk away from it feeling like it slipped away if you weren’t really in it while it was there. the moments that lengthen in your memory are the ones you slowed down enough to actually be a part of.

the hard part is that presence isn’t a switch you can flip. it’s more of a practice, something that takes time to really build. anyone can be present, but a lot of us are easily distracted and pulled by habits that are hard to just drop. the pings from your phone, the desire to scroll when it feels like nothing is happening. it’s about noticing and choosing to return. you drift, and then you come back. you catch yourself somewhere else mentally, and you consciously choose to be here instead. no one is perfectly present all the time, but by consciously putting in the effort, it will feel more natural and allow those memories to become more concrete in your mind.

things to try:

• when something good is happening, notice it while it’s happening. say it to yourself quietly or in your head—this is a good moment. this is a core memory. it sounds small, but naming it solidifies it.

• put your phone away for part of the day, every day. not forever, just for a stretch that belongs entirely to wherever you are. set rules for distractions: when youre having dinner with loved ones, set a rule that everyones phone goes face down, tucked in a bag or placed in a basket. when you’re on a road trip agree that whoever isn’t driving also won’t fall into just scrolling. put your phones in another room on movie night.

• eat at least one meal a day without a screen. just the food, the table, and whoever is there, or with the quiet if you’re eating alone.

• when you’re somewhere new or doing something out of the ordinary, resist the urge to immediately document it. look first. be in it first. the photo can come after. i’m not going to say don’t take pictures — i actually hate that take, that stopping for photos means you aren’t in the moment. just don’t let it be the first thing you do, your initial reaction. i love having photos to look back on, and someday when we are old those photos will be invaluable. but don’t let getting the perfect photo steal the real moment from you.

time is going to pass regardless. the question is just whether you’re inside of it when it does. noticing the light, making the plans, slowing down between the busy parts, doing the things you keep meaning to do before the season turns again and takes them with it.

it doesn’t require a perfect system, a packed calendar, or a complete reinvention of how you spend your days. it just requires a little more intention than the default setting. this isn’t a perfect, foolproof system—the days will still fly by all too quickly. i truly think that’s just part of the human experience; always begging time to slow down. knowing you can’t actually bend time, but maybe—hopefully— you can stretch it, just a bit.

with love, kyla ⏾

ps. what way to stretch time felt like something you want to try out?

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april is a rendezvous of love with nature.
— harriet prescott spofford

oh april, chapter four of twelve in the year, and what a special month it is. april and march have a lot in common in my mind, but where march is the month that we see the snow disappear, revealing brown grass and barren landscapes, april is the month where the green starts to return and the world begins to bloom. the sun starts to feel warmer, the days longer, but we’re still met with a little bit of coolness in the morning and evening air. the contrast of the cold dew on the grass when you step barefoot into the garden, paired with the warmth from your coffee mug on your finger tips.

april’s weather varies quite a bit from march here in nova scotia. march tends to be a mix of mild sunny days, heavy rain, and a few final snowfalls. april, however, levels out a bit, and i find that this is the month my energy is fully back. with the winter sleepiness finally shaken off, i feel ready to expand, to get back out into the world and soak in the season. much like the weather, april holds a mix of moods. it promises gentle solitude: quiet mornings on the porch with coffee in hand, garden afternoons filled with birdsong and the rustle of leaves in the breeze, rainy spring days spent curled up with a good book. but it also invites us to turn outward, venturing slowly back into the world after our winter ‘hibernation.’ weekend mornings at the farmers market, walks in the park now a little busier as the warmer weather draws more people outside. these moments remind us that life is stirring, both quietly and vibrantly, all at once. that both the gentle quiet and the bright blooming can coexist beautifully.

for a sweet spring

the energy of april: blooming, bright, feminine, natural, growing where you are

april always feels intimate and romantic to me. the world starting to fully open up—spring in full bloom. with the pastel colours everywhere, the flowers, and the softness of easter, april tends to feel so feminine and sweet. there’s a kind of quiet magic in the air, a feeling that even the small things can be significant — the first flower bloom, the way sunlight filters through young leaves, the warmth on your skin after coming in from the rain. it’s a month for lingering in moments, noticing details, and letting the day unfold slowly. everything seems more tender, more alive, and more inviting. a perfect time to really bloom, and practice some extra self love. let the romance of the season guide you, treating yourself, indulging in beauty just because, carving out moments to date yourself. i think that theme is reflected in my guide this month.

the soft feminine vibe of spring makes me feel like if april was a person, she would be a beautiful girl in a floral dress and rainboots, frolicking through a garden. she would smell like wildflowers, sugar, and morning dew on the grass. she’d speak softly, move gracefully, and show everyone kindness. she is carefree, girly, and sweet. the kind of energy i want to embody all the time, but especially in the spring.

april feels like opening a book to spring in full swing, finding a flower pressed between it’s pages. the world is opening up in front of you, inviting you to wander and see where it takes you. there’s no need to rush, no destination calling you that matters more than the curiosity guiding your steps.

april showers bring may flowers… 🪿🌸🌷🌼🪻🌳🌻🐇🦋

summer is only the unfulfilled promise of spring, a charlatan in place of the warm balmy nights I dream of in april.
— f. scott fitzgerald, this side of paradise

savour the sweetness

• weekly flower pickup

  treat yourself to flowers every week in april, but make picking them up its own little moment. put on a cute spring outfit, grab a coffee and head out specifically for the flowers—even if you’re just getting them from the local supermarket.

• easter celebration

  take easter weekend to fully celebrate—whatever that looks like for you. wearing a nice spring dress, dinner with family, painting eggs or just curling up in a matching pj set to watch an easter movie. it doesn’t have to be grand and elaborate, but romanticizing holidays is what makes the year stretch and feel longer, so its worth it to give even the smaller holidays some extra attention and love.

• decorate eggs

  in line with celebrating easter, decorate eggs! i used to love doing this as a kid, but i think as an adult we don’t always remember to make time for those little traditions. its so fun to indulge in creativity and play, especially around the holidays.

• outdoor coffee ritual

  by april hopefully the weather is settled enough to consistently be outside, making it a perfect month to start an outdoor coffee ritual. once a week, take your coffee outside to the garden or porch, leave your phone inside, and just enjoy listening to the sounds of nature while you sip.

soak in spring

• spring day trip

  venture out on a spring day trip. head out in the morning, pick up coffees on the way, and go to the countryside, a garden, or a rural town to spend the day. we love driving down the backroads to a smaller village, spending the afternoon puttering around antiques and gift shops, then stopping somewhere for a late lunch before heading home. driving back with the sun setting after a full day always feels so nostalgic and special.

• a gardening ritual

  even if you don’t have a green thumb, get at least a plant or two to care for. i love getting outside, caring for my garden and seeing how it shapes and changes over the years. as the earth emerges from beneath the snow, it’s so fun to get out to your garden and spend time with the land.

• take a rainy walk on purpose

  pick a rainy afternoon where you have no plans after, throw on your rain boots and grab and umbrella and go out for a walk. head out into the rainfall on purpose, enjoying and soaking it all in (literally) before coming home for a bath to warm up.

• give one room a spring reset

  not a full deep clean or organization overhaul, but just a light refresh. buy a few small pieces of decor, change out some books on the table, place some flowers in a vase. as if spring blew through the room making ever so subtle changes to the space.

tend to your peace

• make a rainy day ritual

  you know those rainy spring days where the world feels quiet? where you have no plans aside from looking out the window to see the rain falling on the glowing green landscape? make a little basket and plan, waiting for that perfect rainy day. set aside your favourite mug and tea, have a basket with a blanket, a book, a candle and a craft. cozy up for the day. think: soup, toast, tea, candles, soft lighting—lean into the gloom instead of fighting it. Let the day feel enclosed and gentle, like the world has temporarily shrunk down to fit right in the palm of your hand.

• have a no plan weekend

  set aside one weekend in april to have no plans. like not even errands to run. wake up with no alarm each day, move with your motivation doing whatever it is you feel like for the day. treat yourself to takeout on saturday night so you don’t have to cook or clean.

• write a letter to your dreams

  write a letter to the dreams that aren’t yet yours, excitedly awaiting their arrival. imagine them like a lover, soon to be visiting you. write what you’re most looking forward to when you finally get to meet with them, tell them what your days look like now, and what you plan to do when your dreams get to you. then seal your letter, and tuck it in the pages of a book—either your favourite book, or maybe one that feels like it embodies the themes of your dreams and goals.

• take yourself on a date

  grab your journal and a book, and take yourself on a date. go out for lunch and sit in a booth alone with your journal, go to a cafe and spend the afternoon reading, wander the hallways of a museum or gallery stoping to read all the plaques, see a movie alone and treat yourself to popcorn and chocolate, or pack up a picnic for one, sitting in the grass of the park.

spring indulgence

• farmers market morning

  spend a slow morning at the farmers market. check out each stall, and try to pick something up from each category: flowers, baked good, vegetables, self care.

• weekly spring walk — try to go somewhere new each week!

  make a point of going for a long walk each week, but try to take them somewhere new! check out new parks, go to the beach for one of the walks, drive a little farther away for a walk somewhere you haven’t before.

• people watch in a cafe

  spend a busy morning at a cafe— get there early to snag a table, bring your laptop or a book, and spend some time people watching while people come in and out for their morning drinks. notice the way they move and dress lighter now that the weather is warmer—winter coats changed to lighter layers, winter boots swapped for rain boots.

• cook something from scratch

  make a moment of it, going out to buy just the ingredients you need. pick a recipe that feels bright and springy — maybe something lemony, herby, or green. play music, open the window, taste as you go. make pasta with lemon butter, a homemade pesto, a quiche with in season vegetables incorporated. whatever feels like spring to you. make it feel like a little date night at home.

written between the lines — journal prompts for april
some inspiration to write about

1. what is on my wish list for april? moods, feelings, little moments

2. how can i create more small pockets of peace in my days?

3. what is slowly unfolding in my life this spring?

4. what pulls me outside, towards the world?

5. describe april like a scene from a book

a list of celebration-worthy dates in march…

april fools — april 1st
i’m definitely not a pranks kind of girl, but sometimes it’s fun to do something silly just because. or make it just a funny day, watch a comedy movie and cozy up with snacks that feel childlike.

sourdough bread day — april 1st
not technically a real holiday, but i saw this online and never need any reason to eat more sourdough. maybe try having it for every meal: sourdough toast for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch, a soup or salad with sourdough croutons for dinner.

good friday — april 3rd
the friday before easter, kicking off the easter long weekend. an extra day off is always a reason to celebrate, even if that celebration looks like taking the day easy, reading in bed all day or sitting in the sun in the garden.

easter — april 5th
easter is one of my favourite holidays. between the pastels, flowers, bunny rabbits, the family time and delicious meal it’s such a sweet holiday. even if you aren’t religious, i think a lot of people enjoy easter as a spring celebration and an excuse for a big dinner; sign me up!

earth day — april 22nd
a perfect day to spend being more intentional with nature. maybe go for a walk at a park with no phone or headphones, just listening to the sounds of nature, the rushing river, birds chirping, wind blowing through the trees.

below is a watchlist of new movie and show releases to curl up with this april:

new movies:

• super mario galaxy — april 3rd

• the drama — april 3rd

• you me and tuscany — april 10th

• mother mary — april 17th

• michael — april 24th

• pizza movie — april 3rd (hulu)

new tv shows:

love on the spectrum (netflix, season 4) — april 1st

a taste for murder (britbox) — april 7th

the testaments (hulu) — april 8th

big mistakes (netflix) — april 9th

malcolm in the middle: life’s still unfair (hulu/ disney+) — april 10th

euphoria (hbo, season 3) — april 12th

from (mgm+, paramount+) — april 19th

stranger things: tales from ‘85 (netflix) — april 23rd

comfort films for cozy mid spring movie nights:

keeping up with the themes i crave in spring: magic, whimsy, fantasy, all things bright, happy and green. my comfort movies are pretty much always on the gentle, cozy, somewhat childish side. nostalgia holds my heart, so i never tire of rewatching old movies from my childhood.

• tinkerbell movies — recommended by a comment on my march guide, and yes these fit the vibe perfectly! themes of friendship and magic, set among the most colourful backdrops.

• the easter bunny is comin to town — the rankin bass classic. i know most people watch the christmas ones, but there are so many other holiday specials! the full thing can be found on youtube.

• easter parade — from 1948, this one is a classic technicolour musical featuring judy garland.

• it’s the easter beagle charlie brown — another one me and my husband watch every easter. i love love love snoopy.

• oz the great and powerful — magical, whimsical, wonderful. i love anything wizard of oz in spring, with the yellow brick road and colourful sets it feels so springy.

• howls moving castle — between the music and beautiful art this is definitely a springtime classic.

• ella enchanted — such a cozy family fantasy movie. it feels perfect for the spring because its so magical and many of the scenes have such lush green backgrounds.

books to add to your (ever growing) tbr:

• we burned so bright by tj klune — april 28

  with one month left before a rogue black hole destroys earth, husbands don and rodney set out on a final drive from maine to washington to settle unfinished business after forty years together. along the way they encounter people facing the end in vastly different ways, forcing them to look back on their life, their love, and whether any of it will matter when nothing remains.

• year of the mer by l. d. lewis — april 7

  in this dark, bloody reimagining of the little mermaid, exiled princess yemi strikes a dangerous bargain with the sea-witch ursla after a brutal coup steals her throne and shatters her family. armed with ancient magic and driven by fury, she sets out to reclaim her kingdom and protect the woman she loves—but every wish carries a price, and ursla’s own long-nursed vengeance may cost yemi far more than she can bear.

• the caretaker by marcus kliewer — april 21

  i loved his book we used to live here. so excited for this new one!

  desperate for money, macy mullins takes a strange three-day caretaker job on a remote oregon coast property—only to discover something ancient and malevolent may live there. as the nightmare closes in, she may be the only thing standing between it and the rest of the world… if she can survive long enough to follow the rites.

• thrall by rebecca mahoney — april 21

  lucy easting’s fresh start at rollins university turns deadly when she wakes after a campus party with a memory block and two puncture marks—discovering she’s turning into a vampire. teaming up with a radio host and a skilled archer, she must unravel the predator’s plans and fight for a future of her own before it’s too late.

• love overboard by kandi steiner — april 21st
  an angsty, tumultuous romance between two exes surprised to find out they’re working on the same yacht for the season - and that their every interaction, innocent or not, is being filmed for a television show.

• death meets cute by j. penner — april 28

  iris weyward wants to be the most terrifying villain in fraywell, but reanimating a gentle, baking orc as her enforcer complicates everything. as her sisters’ magic fades, iris must navigate threats—and unexpected feelings that could upend her villainous plans.

• infinite shores by pascale lacelle — april 7

  book three in the drowned gods series. book 1 description: after surviving a deadly night in the dovermere sea caves, emory gains impossible healing powers and uncovers a deadly secret society. as drowned classmates return—only to die again—she must control her magic and uncover the truth before it consumes her.

• the girls trip by ally condie — april 7

  hope, ash, and caro have shared two years of friendship online, but now life’s crossroads bring them together in person at the sonnet resort. each carries secrets—fame, marriage troubles, loss—that they haven’t shared, and this reunion may change everything.

as we step into april, the middle month of spring, i hope this post can inspire you to take it easy, find pockets of peace and carve out time to romanticize the season before it passes us by. time moves so quickly, but making magical moments and really sitting with each holiday and season helps to stretch time a little longer. take notes from nature, focus on your blooming, and be ready to grow where you’re planted.

—kyla ⏾

ps. where is your favourite place to go on a solo date in the spring?

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the house would get messy and i’d spend all day cleaning it. emails piling up, majority of them pointless subscriptions i don’t remember signing up for. jumping in to things as soon as i woke up, having no sense of schedule or routine to my days outside of keeping busy. i knew i needed a change, but i didn’t know exactly what at first. it took me longer than i’d like to admit to notice that the areas of my life that were leaving me frazzled were actually very, very small. it feels easy to try to pinpoint big moments—a stressful job, a difficult relationship— but when none of that applies and you still feel burnt out, its confusing.

for easier days 🤍

i noticed that what needed to change were small moments in my days that brought me more intention. (there it is again, my word of the year). i couldn’t give my all to the things that mattered when i didn’t even have my all to give. its that pesky ‘you can’t pour from an empty cup’ thing — it caught up with me. but what i needed to figure out was why is my cup empty? for me, it came down to feeling spread too thin—always feeling like i was doing everything, but not doing any of it well enough. i would have moments of getting over ambitious of what i could do, then over work to hit arbitrary goals i set for myself.

as an adhd girl, i often struggle with having brief periods of intense motivation that lead to periods of no motivation. not even no motivation, its like i can’t even remember how i was balancing everything just last week. how was the house perfectly clean, work caught up, meals prepped last week, but this week i cant even figure out how to stay ahead of one of those things, let alone all of them?

what i needed were habits. easy habits that i could stick to, that even in those lulls of motivation and clarity, i could lean on. they needed to be simple enough that it didn’t feel like a task, but rather just part of the day. the same way brushing my teeth is automatic, i needed to make these habits automatic too. i also found ways of quieting the chaos in my space even more, which for me = a clear mind. i can’t function well in a messy or visually cluttered space. thats not to say i have no clutter (my bookshelves say hi), but it needs to be intentional clutter. purposeful, not just things that pile up because they have no where to go.

i’ve been spending the first few months of the year starting to build these solid habits that will help carry me through the rest of it. habits that make life feel more simple, so that the things that actually demand my effort and attention can have it. it’s about making the backdrop of my life simple so the bigger things can shine. some of these habits i’ve been doing for years, others are newer for me. don’t feel like you have to do all of them for this to work, pick a few that work for you or feel like they slot well into your life. uprooting everything you know, trying to flip everything around at once is sure to be overwhelming and unsustainable. the key to changing your habits is making sure you can stick with them, so be easy on yourself. if they’re a good fit, you should feel very little resistance at adding habits that help improve your life. not to say changing bad habits should always be easy, sometimes its hard, but we aren’t talking about huge changes today, just small ones that add up to big improvements.

easy habits for an intentional year:

clean space—

1. make the bed every morning

   it’s such a basic piece of advice, but for me it really does make a difference. even if the bed isn’t made perfectly, taking two seconds to pull the covers back up, and place my extra pillows on the bed makes me feel better. not only is it an easy win, starting your day on the right foot, but to me, a made bed helps reduce visual clutter (more on that after). when i pass the bedroom and the bed is made, it feels like i can exhale and breathe easier.

2. reduce visual clutter

   reducing visual clutter is such an underrated hack. it’s not just putting things away (though that helps) but also removing bits of clutter we often don’t even realize. cutting those big warning tags off your hair tools (i didn’t even realize that was allowed, i’m not sure what i thought would happen).

   things to put away/ remove:

   • remove tags from everything

   • put remotes in a basket or box on the coffee table

   • baskets are your friend: for kids or pet toys, blankets, extra throw pillows

   • don’t be afraid of empty space: it’s okay to have a clear coffee table, or a dining table with no center piece. sometimes simple is more peaceful

   • tuck cords away when not in use

3. 10 minute tidy

   never underestimate the power of the 10-minute tidy. i think every canadian 90s/2000s kid remembers growing up watching the big comfy couch, where lunette the clown would end the episode with a 10 second tidy. of course, in practice 10 seconds doesn’t get you too far at keeping a whole house clean, but doing a 10 minute tidy makes it feel so manageable. its just the right amount of time to put things away and refresh the space.

4. the sunday reset

   i like using the time it takes to wash and dry my sheets to do as much cleaning as i can. i don’t always do this on sunday, but the premise is the same. set specific time for cleaning each week, and do what you can in that time. wash and dry the sheets, scrub the bathroom, vacuum the floors, tidy up the kitchen. it always leaves me feeling so much lighter and prepped for the week ahead.

5. the closing shift

   similar to the 10-minute tidy, we started implementing the closing shift after dinner. i’m sure you’ve all worked a job before where the closing shift meant tidying up and getting things ready for the next morning. we make sure all the dishes are put away or in the dishwasher and run it, put away any clutter, and wipe down the counters and stove. it’s so simple but waking up to a clean space every day is invaluable for my mental wellbeing.

life admin—

1. phone on dnd — have a small group of people who bypass

   most things don’t need your attention right away, but the constant buzzing and pinging from app notifications or random texts makes everything feel like it’s demanding your attention now. i have anxiety, so i can’t put my phone fully on silent, but having it on do not disturb with a few key people allowed to always come through gives me peace of mind without letting the flood of notifications fight for my attention through the day.

2. delete non-ideal photos asap—don’t sit on bad/ blurry photos

   this one is pretty simple, but my camera roll gets out of control quick. between things i’ve screenshotted and forgot about, or the 10 bad photos for every 2 good ones, it gets overwhelming fast. and then it’s a lot harder to sort through. i’ve started deleting the bad photos as soon as i go through and pick the good ones, and i check my screenshots every night to see if i actually need it or will realistically never check it again.

3. go through digital clutter once a month

   similar to the last point, i’ve started setting a little bit of time aside each month to go through clutter on my computer. i delete files i don’t need, clear out my downloads folder, and sort through my notion and canva. for many of us, our computers and phones are our workspaces and how we relax, so keeping it clean and tidy just streamlines everything.

4. have a catch up day and reach out to friends and family once a week

   do you ever feel like you’re letting everyone down? or realizing your friend texted you 3 days ago and you opened it but forgot to reply? having a set day and time to reach out and connect with people helps a lot. of course you can still talk to them through the week too, but a catch up day helps so much to keep connected especially to the friends or family you don’t get to see as often.

5. unsubscribe to emails as soon as you decide you don’t want them

   this was such a hard one for me, i’m still working my way through old subscriptions, but i’ve made it a habit of unsubscribing to as many emails as i can when i go to clear my notifications. it’s already starting to feel lighter. for a while i was using the program unroll me which makes those emails not get to your inbox, but it felt like a bandaid, not a real remedy.

6. project pan beauty products

   unless you don’t like them! it’s okay to pass things on to someone else (or the trash) if it doesn’t work for you. i think a lot of us feel so put off by massive overconsumption that not finishing something feels like a failure, but trust me the best thing you can do is be picky with your products. it also helps narrow down what you like. now my skincare routine is so precise and i’m unwavering. i don’t even want to try new products anymore because i’ve nailed my routine so perfectly for my skin. not that i have perfect skin, far from. but i’ve found the products i can rely on to work, and not break me out.

wellness—

1. make a mindfulness habit

   i personally do a 10 minute guided meditation or yoga nidra audio each night before bed. it doesn’t always lull me right to sleep, but it helps to put my focus on something peaceful instead of my mind wandering to all the things that stress me out. you could do a 5 minute morning journal practice, an evening stretch, a meditation, anything that fits easily into your life. i like to listen to asmr before bed so doing the guided meditation fit right in and didn’t feel hard to implement.

2. a consistent sleep routine

   i’ve started focusing a lot more on my sleep this year. it’s become such a habit to be in bed by 9pm now that around 8:30 my body just instinctively knows its time to go do my skincare and get ready for bed soon. a consistent bed time helps your overall sleep health and quality. i sometimes struggle to stay asleep, so prioritizing good sleep and having enough time to sleep has been key.

3. have routines

   having little routines throughout my day makes everything feel seamless. they’re like my guiding light in the fog. for a while i didn’t do my morning skincare until i was actually leaving the house, and i never ate breakfast. now i do my morning skincare right after brushing my teeth in the morning and it just feels automatic. i also started having a smoothie every day for breakfast because i read that eating in the morning is really good for lowering cortisol. i’m not usually hungry in the morning, but making a simple smoothie recipe that i love has helped so much because now i actually crave it every day. even creating mini routines for work, writing, anything i do, helps. if you work from home, light a specific candle during work hours, take an intentional lunch or stretch break, end the day with a little ritual to signal to your brain it’s time to shut off.

4. meal prep/ ingredient prep

   when you bring the groceries home, prep the ingredients. you don’t have to get into fully cooking and meal prepping, but having veggies and fruit washed and cut up makes it so much easier to grab healthy snacks on the go, and when you go to cook it makes it just a little simpler and less time consuming.

5. no scroll mornings

   it can be hard, especially when you’re awake but not ready to get out of bed. i’ve switched to reading if i want to stay in bed, but often i notice i’ll just get up and get started. scrolling in the morning is overstimulating, and harming your focus and dopamine. it doesn’t help your attention span. if you find you just automatically start checking apps, try a few weeks sleeping with your phone away from your bed or even in another room and get a traditional alarm clock.

6. read every night

   i read every night no matter where i am or what time it is. i try to get in bed with enough time to read for at least an hour, but even if i hop in bed late that day i still read at least a few pages. it really helps me re-center, de-stimulate, and it helps me fall asleep quicker because i’m often still thinking about the book i’m reading while i drift off.

productivity—

1. follow your plan, not your mood

   i plan a little list of things i need to do the next day each evening. it helps because it feels like a brain dump, so i don’t get so anxious that i’m forgetting something. it also gives me a list of things that i will do regardless of how i’m feeling. being disciplined is important to me, and i find if i just go based on my motivation or mood for the day, i may not get everything done that i need to. which sometimes feels good in the moment, but the next day playing catch up isn’t worth the stress.

2. schedule your next appointment when you’re leaving the current one

   when you’re on the way out of an appointment, stop at the desk and book the next one. dentist, massage, nails, etc. you can always change it later if need be, but it just takes away the need to remember when you last went and when you should book back in. you’re also booking earlier so you are more likely to get your preferred time and not have to compromise.

3. habit stacking

   this isn’t a new concept at all, but habit stacking helps when you don’t want to dedicate a ton of time to do certain things each day. for example, maybe you wear your red light mask while you meditate, or call a friend to catch up while you fold laundry. it doesn’t have to be major, just getting a few things ticked off at the same time instead of trying to find individual time to do everything.

4. get out of the house every day

   i’m a homebody through and though, i truly love being at home. but i have noticed my mental wellbeing feels better when i put effort in to leaving the house every day. not for anything big, it can be a little trip to the grocery store to grab ingredients for dinner, or getting out for a walk.

5. create a work day flow

   as someone who works from home and needs to balance multiple platforms and projects (work, substack, writing, youtube) i like creating a little ‘work day’ routine to keep me on track. it looks a little different each day, but i try to stick within my work hours and not work well beyond them like i sometimes have a tendency to do.

taking care of yourself—

1. be your own barista

   ever since making more coffee recipes at home, i’ve saved so much money on going out for coffees because i just like mine better and have so much fun trying out new recipes. not to say i don’t still enjoy a coffee out, but i find it so fulfilling knowing i like the coffee i make the best.

2. become a home chef

   similar to the last one, falling in love with cooking and baking has been so much fun for me, and now i much prefer the food i make at home and rarely crave takeout or restaurant foods. i still treat myself, but its been so much easier to make healthy, nourishing meals since investing more time into learning to cook and bake. its also so much more fulfilling knowing i can make anything i want myself and it’ll taste better and be healthier.

3. do your own hair and nails at home

   there is no shame in liking to get your hair or nails done professionally, but being able to do them yourself can save you a lot of money and also make sure you get exactly what you want every single time. its not about necessity, but rather just knowing you can take care of yourself is so freeing.

4. treat yourself sometimes

   i guess i’m kind of cheating by making this a ‘habit’, but treating myself has become a great tool that keeps me productive and happy. i’m someone who works really well on a reward system, so for instance before i relax for the evening i’ll tell myself “okay, you have to clean something for 20 minutes and then you get to relax”. it kind of feels like i’m managing a toddler with a bribe, but it truly does work for me. same with rewarding myself with cute workout clothes — it helps me to stay motivated and excited to keep up with my workout routine.

money—

1. go through your finances once a month

   once a month sit down with yourself or your partner to review finances and make sure everything is going smoothly. this used to really stress me out, i had (and still kind of do have) a lot of anxiety around finances. i used to prefer to just ignore it and trust that if something went wrong i’d realize, but thats no way to approach your personal finances, and avoiding it actually lets the anxiety build up worse.

2. review your budget every 3 months

   sit down and review your budget every few months. 3 months seems like a good amount to me, enough time to see how things are going and where you may need to shuffle things around.

3. review subscriptions every 3 months

   at the same time as you review your budget, review any subscriptions you are paying for to make sure they are still ones you want and use. if you haven’t used them in 3 months, cancel it. you can always re-subscribe later if you want to use the app or service again.

4. automate savings

   every pay have your bank account set to move whatever amount you want from your chequing to savings account. even if its only a small amount, it all adds up and having it automatically go over helps because you don’t even think about it. say you want to save $100 a pay, just pretend your paycheque is $100 less than it is.

life hacks & tips for a life well lived—

• get outside as often as you can

  nature is so healing. being outside and connecting with the earth is so grounding, it helps me de-stress, and feel at one with the planet we’re on. we’re all just little creatures on this earth after all.

• tretinoin!!!

  trust me if you’re like 25+, its the skincare product you need. anti-aging, helps with acne, makes skin appear bouncier and glowier, helps with texture. its seriously the do-it all champion.

• SPF

  and if you’re using tretinoin (or even if you’re not) you need a good spf. protecting your skin is so important — not only for how it looks, but for your health.

• be nice to yourself, and speak highly of yourself

  your subconscious is listening, and how you talk to yourself — even in your head, shows up in your life.

• you need to change your pillow case, towels, hand towels, face cloths and dish sponges way more often than you realize

  • i use these ikea face cloths — super affordable and i just have the clean ones folded up in my bathroom drawer. i use a fresh one every day!

• automate things you need every month

  • use the ‘subscribe and save’ feature on amazon for products you need to buy every month or every other month. dish soap, new razor heads, sponges, laundry detergent, etc.

• if you can’t always fold your clean laundry the same day you wash it, have a clean bin and a dirty bin

  this helps keep things separate, and gives the clean clothes a place to live until you can get to folding. life is busy and unpredictable, so it never hurts fool-proofing your chores like this.

• buy it nice or buy it twice

  have you ever tried to get the cheaper alternative to something you really wanted, just to realize it’s not as good and you still want the original thing? it happens, and i’ve noticed i’m so much better off just saving for the better quality version of something than to buy something cheap that won’t last. of course this doesn’t have to apply to everything — dollar store sponges work just as well as any other— but for the important things, get the good one.

• keep a ‘last time i saw them’ list

  i heard this on a tiktok once and it changed me. for people you don’t see super often, keep a ‘last time i saw them’ list, and write out what was going on with them after you hangout, that way next time you see them you can review the list first and remember what was going on, know what to ask, and they feel heard, valued and important.

• bragging = insecurity

  don’t get caught up with how well things seem to be going for other people. the older i’ve gotten, the more i’ve realized that when things are truly going well, people don’t need to shout it. chances are if someone is always bragging about their finances or their relationship, things aren’t actually going as well as they want to make it seem. perfect example, ned fulmer being the ‘wife guy’ on try guys (iykyk)

• what you do in private shows up in public

  not because you’re doing anything for other people. but you know those people who just always seem put together? they always seem kind, energized, happy, peaceful? they seem like that because they live it even when no one is watching. this really helps me stay locked in on my goals and who i want to be. the habits you cultivate behind closed doors show up outwardly.

• cry when you need it

  theres no reward for holding it all together all the time. letting yourself feel things fully is so important to letting it go and being able to move on.

• laugh, a lot

  nothing is that serious. even when things are so dark, finding a moment to laugh about it all helps actually reduce the stress. even when things feel really hard, heavy, and it’s supposed to be serious, try to giggle at it.

as the spring opens our worlds back up, let this be a gentle nudge to tackle the habits you’ve secretly been craving. make the little changes you know your body and mind need. not everything will change all at once, but eventually you’ll step back and realize all the little seeds you planted and watered have bloomed your life into the most beautiful garden.

—with love, kyla ⏾

ps. what habit have you added that changed your life more than you realized it would? or if you haven’t yet, what do you feel inspired to start doing?

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all the flowers would have very extra-special powers, they would sit and talk to me for hours, when i'm lonely in a world of my own

each season i’ve put together a list of my favourite comfort watches that really embody the season for me, and the final post in that series is spring. my comfort movies are my sanctuary, and they’re what i lean on for seasonal joy and excitement too. such a gentle way to welcome a season, with an old favourite film on the tv.

in spring i crave mystical movies, with bright lush landscapes, some romance, and a touch of whimsy. the types of movies that make you feel like you can smell the fresh flowers and soft grass through the screen.

we're all mad here

many of these are movies i re-watch year after year, and have since i was a little kid. one thing that’s always consistent with my watch-lists is that nostalgia plays a huge role in the cozy comfort i feel from certain movies.

honourable mentions: tv shows

• sweet tooth (netflix)

• dark crystal (netflix)

• merlin (bbc, prime video)

• bridgerton (netflix)

• the saddle club (prime video)

• rosemary & thyme (britbox)

• pride and prejudice (bbc mini series)

• little bear (apple tv)

• moonmin (prime video)

• anne with an e (netflix)

• anne of green gables animated series

• the world of peter rabbit and friends — found on archive

i hope you enjoyed the final edition of my seasonal cozy watchlists, spring. maybe you found a new (or old) favourite, and got inspired to celebrate the season more in the media you consume.

—Kyla ⏾

ps. what is your go to spring movie?

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that is one good thing about this world...there are always sure to be more springs.
l.m. montgomery, anne of avonlea

while not spring technically until the 20th of march, early march always marks the beginning of spring to me. the air shifts in march. there’s finally a touch of warmth to be felt on the cool breeze, and the sun is shining a little brighter and longer through the day. the snow eventually melts away, and all of a sudden its spring again, and it feels like another mini new beginning; one of many held within the year. with the ground thawing and the plants emerging, it feels like nature is asking us to renew as well, to emerge a little bit from our own version of a hibernation in winter. each season holds it’s own sensory language—a feel, a distinct smell, their own specific song, and sights. spring feels like renewal. like the light at the end of a (cozy)tunnel, it’s is airy and light. the freshness can be smelled on the breeze through cracked open windows, inviting clean air in to mingle. birds singing from morning until night, fluttering around in puddles of rain. the sun glowing through the trees as green starts to emerge again.

meet me under the willow tree

spring always feels like an invitation. not a demand or a deadline—just a quiet come see. the frost starts to loosen. light spills longer into the evenings. green returns to grey landscapes in small, unexpected patches. after months of staying in, you’re reminded that life can expand again, slowly and sweetly.

what i love most about spring is how much room it gives you to choose. you don’t have to become someone new overnight—you get to craft the season you want to live in. maybe that means more walks with no purpose beyond noticing what’s blooming. maybe it’s eating meals that feel lighter and brighter, or opening the door just to smell the fresh rain. like you’re caught in between the old and the new, holding on to whats comfortable but embracing whats changing. the sleepiness of winter still felt in early spring, but the invigoration bringing a new zest for life.

early spring feels like a quiet opening. easing open the windows and doors. the days are still cool, but the light lingers, and small signs of life begin to appear—buds forming, birds returning, the earth slowly waking. it’s a season for gentle starts, for layering hope with patience (and sweaters on top of t-shirts). it’s for noticing what’s beginning to grow. walks are slower, more observant. plans are held lightly. there’s comfort in knowing that simply paying attention is enough for now.

late spring feels fuller. warmer. the evening stretches longer. the trees fill out, colour deepens, and long days invite you to stay outside just a little longer. life moves outward—meals eaten slowly, windows glowing at dusk, bare arms catching the sun. light evenings invite lingering. it’s still gentle, but brighter, bolder. early spring asks you to notice, late spring encourages you to join in, to live fully inside the beauty that’s been growing all along.

spring is the season of gentle decisions: saying yes to more light, more colour, more time outside when you can. letting curiosity lead. tending to small things—starting seeds or even just a plant in the window. a routine that finally feels right, and hope that you’re ready to water again. nature does this so well: it grows without rushing, almost unnoticed until one day you crack the window and notice all the green.

instead of chasing an ideal version of spring, i’m choosing to craft one that feels lived in. built from small routines, open days, and moments of delight gathered as the world wakes up around me. not a perfect season—a more personal one. one i can step into (barefoot when possible). accepting springs invite outside, back into the world around me. taking notes from nature and following in its sure steps.

a guide to your sweetest spring yet…

little moments of spring: barefoot in the garden, opening all the windows, the feeling of the first warmth in the air, smelling the flowers blooming…

spring care packages:

• a day trip:
  head out on a perfect spring day trip. start with coffee on a cafe patio, and then a drive through the countryside. go antique shopping at as many places as you can find, plan an outdoor adventure like a walk in a gorgeous park, and a picnic lunch.

• a self-care basket:

  treat yourself to new skincare, even just a little sheet mask or ice roller to suit your skin now that the weather is warming up(think lighter textures, nourishing, brightening). gather your favourite tea, bath salts or bomb, a treat, a book, and a soft pair of wool socks into a basket. a care package for the perfect self care evening.

• spring crafting:

  start a new spring craft project. it can be as involved or simple as you like. take time each week to set aside, crack the window open, and make something with your hands. a scrapbook, junk journal, quilt, needlepoint project, anything that makes you excited to own the finished project.

seasonal sweets—

i think every season is good for baking, but spring is especially sweet. the smell of sugar mingling with the scent of flowers on the counter, and a gentle breeze coming through the window. not to mention the fresh farmers market produce you can include in your baking—strawberries, blueberries, lemon, orange, carrots.

below you’ll find my baking bucket list for this spring. i’m really trying to get out of my comfort zone with baking this year and try more. i used to be pretty bad at it, but after having success last year with multiple different cookie recipes, and muffins, i feel ready to try more.

a spring baking bucket list—

• classic strawberry short cake

• glazed lemon poundcake loaf

• orange zest muffins

• carrot cake

• lemon bundt cake

• strawberry rhubarb crumb bars

• blueberry swirl cheesecake

soft rituals for darling spring days—

• start seeds

  starting seeds feels like one of spring’s most obvious rituals. small pots on a windowsill, soil pressed gently down, hands dusted with earth. it’s an act of care as much as gardening. tend to your seeds slowly, check in each morning, and let it be a reminder that patience and care can turn the smallest beginnings into something green and living. this year, i want to take gardening a little more seriously. i’m letting go of the fear of getting it wrong, trusting that learning comes from trying, and trying again. part of the ritual is paying attention to timing: checking the final frost date, starting a few seeds indoors, and giving them a head start before they’re ready to meet the outside world.

• the first outdoor coffee

  on the first day it’s nice enough to, get a coffee and have it outside. even if it’s just on the steps, feeling the breeze and listening to the birds sing. leave your phone behind, and spend the time soaking up whats in front of you.

• strawberry fields forever

  okay it doesn’t have to be strawberry, but picking fruit or flowers at a u-pick feels like the ultimate act of spring. it’s grounding being outside, slowly wandering through the fields, taking time to find the juiciest fruits or brightest flowers to pick.

• a flower walk

  go for a walk at a park, or even jusst around your neighbourhood with the goal of going slow. take time to notice the changes, the buds on the trees starting to open up, or the flowers poking out of thawing ground. even go back a week or a few later and see all the changes that seem to happen when you’re not looking.

• a picnic ritual

  even if it’s still cool out, pack something simple—bread, fruit, something sweet—and take it outside anyway. sit on a blanket or a bench, feel the soft grass beneath you, and take your time like you have nowhere else to be. the magic isn’t the food, it’s the act of choosing to be outdoors again, letting spring meet you halfway.

• field notebook

  keep a small notebook just for being outside. bring it on walks or into the garden, slip flowers between its pages, sketch what catches your eye, jot down small observations. don’t worry if its neat, just keep it as a place to gather pieces of the season as you move through it. think of it like arthur spiderwick’s field guide; a collection of observations, musings and studies from the magical world around you.

• the first barefoot moment

  you know that feeling when the ground is finally thawed, and the grass growing back softly? the air smells fresh and almost sugary, so nice you wish you could take a bite. close your eyes, step out of your shoes and feel the cool grass underfoot. notice the breeze caressing your skin, like you’re being held in springs sweet embrace. take a moment to just be. noting what you hear, and smell, as if you could bottle this feeling up and keep the memory on a shelf in your mind.

to celebrate—

• full worm moon (march 3rd)
  march’s full moon is called the worm moon. its name is often linked to the first signs of thaw, when soil softens and life begins to stir, inviting birds down to feed in gardens. in the 1760s, the naudowessie (dakota) and other native tribes, called it the worm moon referring to beetle larvae emerging from beneath warming tree bark. a quiet signal that winter was loosening its hold, and spring was beginning to move again.

• total lunar eclipse (march 3rd)

  this moon is also a total lunar eclipse, the only one this year. that moment when the moon dims and turns a soft reddish-orange(thats where it gets the name blood moon), as if the light has been gently turned down. an eclipse is subtle but unmistakable, the kind of sky-event that asks you to pause and look twice. worth stepping outside for if you can.

• pi day (3.14) (march 14th)
  pi day (3.14) is an invitation to take the name literally. an easy excuse to bake a pie, sweet and simple, and let the kitchen fill with warmth. nothing fancy required—just flour on the counter, something in the oven, and the quiet pleasure of celebrating a day that exists purely for joy.

• st patricks day (march 17th)
  st patrick’s day is a small burst of green in the middle of march. a reminder to notice colour returning—moss on stone, new leaves, the first signs of life pushing up from the ground. celebrate it simply: wear something green, step outside if you can, raise a glass or share a meal, and let it mark the quiet turning toward spring.

• spring equinox (march 20th)
  a day when the light and dark reach equilibrium. from here, the days keep getting longer, night time slipping into a shorter rhythm for a while. celebrate it simply: step outside and notice the lengthening evening, tidy one small corner of your space, or write down what you want to carry into the brighter half of the year. nothing dramatic—just a little acknowledgment that the light is returning.

• the pink moon (april 1st)
  For the best view of this stunning spring Moon, head to an open area and watch as it rises above the horizon.
  the full moon quietly shapes the calendar of spring. its timing determines when easter falls each year. the name pink moon comes from an early spring bloom native to eastern north america—phlox subulata, often called creeping or moss phlox. its soft pink flowers spread low across the ground and tend to bloom around april’s full moon, tinting the landscape just as spring begins to settle in.

• good friday (april 3rd)
  good friday arrives softly, not with a big wave of celebration. it’s a day for slowing down—simple meals, lowered voices, time spent reflecting or resting. whether observed religiously or not, it offers a pause in the season, a reminder of depth and meaning before the joy and light of what comes next.

• easter (april 5th)
  i love easter. easter feels like spring dressed in its prettiest colours. pale pinks, soft yellows, bowls of candy eggs, flowers arranged just because. it’s a day for sweet things, family and gentle rituals—a slow morning, a shared meal, a table that feels a little more cheerful than usual.

• world book day (april 23rd)
  world book day is the perfect excuse to wander the bookstore and grab a new read for your shelves. you could even pick one up to donate to a local little free library near you. celebrate by starting a new book that day—even just the first chapter—and let it mark a quiet return to longer evenings and more time for reading.

• the flower moon (may 1st)
  may’s full flower moon arrives as spring reaches its fullness, the landscape overflowing with colour and scent. its name comes from the abundance of flowers in bloom, a little preview of all the beauty still to come.

• may day (may 1st)
  may day feels like a celebration of things finally in bloom. rooted in old traditions of flowers, ribbons, fertility rites, and dancing, it marks the heart of spring’s return. even celebrated simply, it’s a lovely excuse to gather flowers, wear something pastel, or spend time outdoors in the garden—a small nod to the joy and abundance of the season.

• blue moon (may 31st)
  a rare second full moon in a month, also known as a blue moon because it only happens once in a blue moon. may is treating us to two chances to step outside in your slippers and gaze up in wonder.

spring field notes: things to notice in the spring—

• the first blossoms
  watch for what blooms first where you live—crocuses pushing through cold soil, magnolia trees suddenly blushing pink, blubells poking through the forest floor. notice which ones arrive shyly and which seem to burst open overnight.

• rushing rapids
  notice how rivers wake up in spring—filled by melting snow and rain, moving faster, louder, pressing up against their banks as winter finally lets go.

• precious petals

  collect fallen flower petals and clovers on your walk, like natures little good luck charm in your pocket.

• birdsong
  listen for birdsong you haven’t heard in months—robins hopping across the yard, chickadees singing from budding tree branches. pause and let the noise register as proof that the season is changing.

• spring rain
  rain shifts in spring. it sounds gentler, smells sweeter, and leaves everything clean instead of heavy. watch puddles form, clouds lift, and sidewalks shine.

• twilight
  sunset comes later and evenings lengthen. the sky holds colour longer, and dusk feels less like an ending and more like a pause.

• new green
  spring green isn’t deep or dark yet. it’s sharp, almost glowing—the grass subtly brightening after months of grey.

• spring produce
  head to your local farmers market and look for asparagus, peas, radishes, and strawberries just beginning to appear. pick up what looks the brightest and inspires you to get in the kitchen.

journaling in spring—

— prompts:

1. what am i looking forward to most this spring?

2. spring is a fresh start—what areas of your life are quietly asking for a fresh start?

3. spring clean you mind—what thoughts are you ready to tidy and let go of?

4. spring and the 5 senses—what does spring look, feel, smell, taste and sound like to me?

5. what seeds (real or metaphorical) am i working on planting right now?

6. what’s something new you want to try this spring?

7. what little spring things am i thankful for?

8. what does “renewal” look like to me in small, everyday ways?

9. if something in nature near you was quietly watching over you this season, what would it be?

— creative writing:

1. spring faeries are real—where would they be living in your garden? what do they do all day?

2. what would be in your own magical secret garden?

3. imagine you are alice—who would you meet on your journey through wonderland?

4. what parts of nature around you feel like they could be enchanted, if you let yourself believe that for a moment?

little luxuries & mood boosters—

• weekly fresh flowers

• the perfect flowy skirt to pair with knit sweaters

• a skincare refresh for warmer weather

• a new floral candle

• a floral quilt—set the vibe in your room to english country cottage

• a good pair of rainboots (or wellies, if you prefer to call them that)

• gardening book (martha stewart’s is my fave)

• a new journal

• new fresh bed sheets

• outdoor mornings

• a spring playlist

• a new market bag

• the farmers almanac, garden calendar, planner, and garden guide

spring reading & watching—

a read & watch list for all the different moods of spring.

a reading list—

• the honey witch by sydney j. shields

  a cozy, nature-soaked tale of magic, love, and self-discovery, where sweetness, ritual, and choosing your own path take root like wildflowers.

• the secret garden by frances hodgson burnett

  a hidden place, a locked door, and the quiet miracle of tending something back to life — a story where healing and growth arrive together, slowly and surely.

• godmersham park by gill hornby

  the story of anne sharp, navigating class, longing, and the quiet constraints placed on women who must observe rather than act.

• a court of thorns and roses by sarah j. maas

  a mortal huntress is pulled into a dangerous fae realm, where survival, magic, and love become tightly entwined.

• the strawberry patch pancake house by laurie gilmore

  a woman starts fresh by running a small-town pancake house, finding community, comfort, and unexpected romance along the way.

• tom lake by ann patchett

  a mother revisits a youthful summer of love and theatre while telling her daughters how that season shaped the life she chose.

• tress of the emerald sea by brandon sanderson

  a resourceful young woman crosses a perilous, spore-filled sea to rescue the man she loves, discovering her own strength along the way.

• finding flora by elinor florence

  wild land, determined hearts, and a woman carving out a life where beauty grows against the odds.

classics—

• east of eden by john steinbeck

  two generations of families in california’s salinas valley wrestle with love, jealousy, and the enduring question of whether we are bound by our nature or free to choose differently.

• a tree grows in brooklyn by betty smith

  growing up in early 20th-century brooklyn, francie nolan finds strength and imagination in books and family as she comes of age amid poverty and hope.

• to kill a mockingbird by harper lee

  through a child’s eyes, a small Southern town confronts racial injustice as atticus finch defends a black man wrongly accused.

• emma by jane austen

  confident and well-meaning, emma woodhouse meddles in the romantic lives of others, only to discover how easily pride can cloud her own heart.

• pride and prejudice by jane austen

  elizabeth bennet and mr. darcy navigate misunderstanding, social expectation, and desire before learning to see each other clearly.

• little women by louisa may alcott

  four sisters grow from girlhood into adulthood, shaping their lives through ambition, sacrifice, and enduring love for one another.

• the sound and the fury by william faulkner

  the decline of the compson family unfolds through fractured memories and shifting voices, revealing loss, obsession, and the weight of the past.

• where the crawdads sing by delia owens

  raised alone in the north carolina marsh, kya clark grows up between isolation and connection as a mysterious death draws the town back into her life.

a watchlist—

watchlist: tv shows — for tv shows, spring tends to make me crave period pieces, and light mysteries. bright neighbourhoods with secrets buried under carefully planted gardens, or ornate palaces draped in pastels and florals.

• bridgerton

• queen charlotte

• anne with an e

• the marvelous mrs. maisel

• why women kill

• you

watchlist: comfort movies:

whimsy—

• studio ghibli films

  highly recommend studio ghibli films—spirited away, ponyo, my neighbor totoro, princess mononoke, howl’s moving castle, and kiki’s delivery service—for their lush animation, beautiful melodies, gentle storytelling, and worlds that feel alive with wind, water, and growing things. they’re spring in motion: full of wonder, warmth, and magic.

• alice in wonderland

  a world where flowers talk, colours feel slightly too bright, and logic loosens its grip. spring as pure curiosity, wandering, and gentle chaos.

• the secret garden

  locked doors, bare soil, and the quiet miracle of things coming back to life. a reminder that spring can change people as much as landscapes.

• willow

  green valleys, small heroes, and magic tucked into nature itself. spring as adventure, hope, and growth against the odds.

• legend

  deep forests, soft light, and fairy-tale darkness edged with beauty. spring rendered as myth, moss, and dream.

• moonrise kingdom

  pastel scouts, handwritten letters, and young love blooming at the edge of the woods. spring as rebellion, tenderness, and becoming.

• matilda

  a bright, slightly magical world where kindness and courage bloom. spring as possibility, even in unexpected places.

• the spiderwick chronicles

  hidden worlds just beneath the surface of everyday life. spring as discovery, danger, and enchantment.

• stardust

  fallen stars, wildflowers, and journeys that change you. spring as romance, risk, and wonder.

• tangled

  lanterns, sunlight, and a girl stepping into her own story. spring as freedom finally claimed.

• the cat in the hat

  controlled chaos, colour everywhere, and a day turned upside down. spring as mischief and release.

• tuck everlasting

  a young girl stumbles upon a family granted eternal life and must decide whether living forever is a gift or a curse.

• big fish

  daffodils, tall tales, and love that feels larger than life. spring as memory, myth, and magic.

• the giver

  a world of sameness where colour and season are carefully controlled. quiet, restrained, and deeply spring-adjacent in its longing.

period piece—

• emma

  sunlit rooms, fresh dresses, and the gentle choreography of courtship. spring in its most charming, playful form.

• marie antoinette

  pastels, gardens, cake, and excess. spring as indulgence, beauty, and fleeting sweetness.

• pride & prejudice

  wide fields, long walks, and glances that linger. spring as restraint giving way to feeling.

• sense and sensibility

  quiet longing, green landscapes, and emotion held just beneath the surface. spring as patience rewarded.

• far from the maddening crowd

  wide fields, shifting skies, and a woman finding her way among love, loss, and the rhythms of the land—spring unfolding in every breath of green.

• bright star

  poetry written in wildflowers and long walks, where love blooms quietly among open skies and passing seasons.

• a room with a view

  sunlit landscapes, open windows, and a love that awakens alongside the world outside—spring stirring both heart and horizon.

slice of life—

• the sound of music

  green hills, open air, and joy sung at full volume. spring as freedom, movement, and light.

• peter rabbit

  cottages, gardens, and mischief among the lettuces. spring as playful abundance.

• notting hill

  bookshop mornings, leafy streets, and love unfolding between cups of coffee and blooming gardens.

• anne of green gables

  wind-brushed fields, flowering orchards, and a girl who finds wonder in everything — pure spring through the eyes of someone learning how to belong.

spring always pulls me toward ‘retro’ (vibe, not time period necessarily) shows and films—picturesque neighbourhoods with perfectly green manicured lawns, colourful outfits, and even appliances. it’s a world of brightness and polish, but often with a little darkness lurking behind the carefully curated image.

retro vibes—

• stepford wives

  perfect lawns, flowered dresses, and a town where everything gleams a little too brightly. spring sunshine with a hum beneath it—immaculate, eerie, unforgettable.

• pleasantville

  a black-and-white world slowly blooming into colour. lawns green, roses red, spring arriving not just in the season but in the soul

• the truman show

  an endless blue sky, cheerful neighbours, and a world designed to feel like perpetual spring. bright, gentle, and quietly unsettling in the way only perfect days can be.

• the help

  1960s southern, polished and pastel homes set against a story about racial injustice and unlikely friendships formed along the way.

• hairspray

  pure joy in motion—bold colours, big hair, and optimism bursting through every frame. springtime energy turned all the way up.

• down with love

  pink telephones, split screens, and pure 1960s rom-com joy. candy-coloured and unapologetically fun.

the making of a perfect spring isn’t created through big elaborate plans, or the perfect weather every single day. it’s about choosing to find pockets of joy and seasonal bliss—or making them when they’re harder to find. taking the time to enjoy the extra hour of sunshine, or pausing to notice the way the buds on the trees change. spring isn’t something you need to chase or perfect—it’s here either way, asking you gently to participate. it’s a season built off small rituals, tending to yourself, and honouring the earth and all the beauty it has to offer.

i hope this guide helps you achieve your dreamiest spring.

—kyla ⏾

ps. what change of spring is your absolute favourite?

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i think the spring marks a perfect time to start a gentle journaling practice. with the world opening up all around us, let your inner world bloom and expand as well. as you shake off the sleepiness of winter and watch the world brighten, maybe you’ve been seeking something to keep you grounded, or something to let grow in the quiet moments—i know i have.

in the springtime, everything changes so quickly—blink and you could miss it. this journal practice is an invitation to slow down, to notice the subtle shifts, and to settle in with yourself for a moment.

invitation to wander 🪿🌱

why journal?

last year i really stared journaling (i spoke about that process in this post), feeling pulled to pick up a notebook and ground myself in my thoughts and the world around me. for a while i had been jotting down half thoughts and broken ideas in my phone notes, but i was ready to put pen to paper and be more intentional about it. since then, i’ve started to fall in love with journaling as a practice. not as something to perfect, or to check off a to-do list every day, but as an exercise in mindfulness and imagination. journaling is proven to help with mindfulness, emotional regulation, stress reduction, and it even helps with memory and cognitive function. so basically—it’s really good for you. i see it like a multivitamin for the soul.

you can journal anywhere, with anything—even just in your phone notes—but for this practice i’m going to suggest a notebook and a pen(or pencil). i think sitting with just yourself and a blank page really does help broaden your creative spirit. you can’t open a secondary tab or look anything up, and no notifications come pinging through on a piece of paper. it forces you to dig a bit deeper for inspiration, and get really in tune with your own thoughts and feelings. you can journal with music, but don’t be afraid to sit in complete silence sometimes too— you may be surprised how clear your thoughts can become.

this spring journaling practice…

commit to it for a season. it doesn’t have to be a daily thing, but something you can return to throughout the spring. the prompts i have written are designed to hit a few different vibes or feelings—some more introspective and deep, some lighthearted and growth oriented. others are focused on the physical world around you, rooting you into the season and the present moment, and i also wrote some creative writing prompts for if you want to stretch and work your imagination a bit.

creative writing can sometimes be the most challenging part—it can be hard to release the guards we put up, and let our imaginations just wander. but if you are able to do it, it can pay off so much. creative writing is the art of giving voice to your imagination, emotions and perspectives. it’s been shown to build critical thinking, communication, and empathy—letting you walk through experiences or events you may have never been through before, from perspectives outside of your own. you can think of the phrase ‘use it or lose it’— that if you don’t actively use and practice a skill, you will lose the ability to. that sounds abrasive, but rest assured, each skill can be renewed, and so too can your imagination. by engaging in free writing and creative storytelling, you can re-ignite your imagination and sense of childlike wonder, and what better time to do that than the spring?

i’ve written 48 prompts for this journal practice. that works out to be 4 per week (one from each section) for the 12 weeks of the season, but feel free to do as many or as few as you are called to, repeat as you see fit, and mix in some of your own as well.

the prompts fall into 4 sections that feel appropriate for spring:
blooming — these are more introspective, growth and change oriented
spring cleaning — these focus on letting go, emotional decluttering, moving on
field notes — these ones are grounding, noticing the world, studying nature
wildflower tales — these are creative storytelling and imaginative prompts

you absolutely do not need to do every prompt from each section, but i think choosing some from each category gives you a pretty well rounded and balanced journaling practice for the season. you might move through a prompt each day for a month, or you could stretch this journal practice out, easing in slowly, settling in for a journal session a few times a week. some weeks you will journal every day, others you may only get to it once, both are okay.

blooming — change, renewal, growth, introspection

• what dreams feel ready to bloom this spring?

  perhaps you feel ready to take on something big—something thats been taking root under the surface for quite some time. or maybe, it’s something quieter, simpler. a shift that brings more peace, more clarity.

• how have i changed in ways that feel good to admit?

  you might notice you’ve been changing in ways you haven’t put a name to yet. maybe you haven’t wanted to admit you’re changing, but acknowledging and honouring it can be freeing.

• what new wants and desires have emerged in me so far this year?

  do you still feel the same towards the goals you set at the start of the year? or maybe, your wants and desires have shifted, turning towards something you hadn’t realized at first.

• if i let myself take up more space, what does that look like?

  imagine a world where you aren’t afraid to be unapologetically you. no people pleasing, no fear of how others would react, just a calm confidence.

• what area of my life feels most alive right now?

  as we move through the year, different things come in and out of focus. some periods are dominated by work and goals, others by softening into hobbies.

• what qualities do you want your days to have more of this season?

  this spring, i want my days to feel peaceful and grounded in nature. maybe you’re craving that too, or maybe you want to feel energized and ready to make moves. whatever it is—think of how your days can embody that energy.

• what does growth look like for me right now? — bold, quiet, slow, maybe under the surface?

  not all growth has to be big and brilliant. sometimes it’s subtle, slowly shifting and blooming. how have you noticed your growth looks and feels lately?

• what nourishes me the way early rain nourishes soil?

  maybe it’s fewer plans, rest that doesn’t need to be earned or justified, movement that feels freeing rather than forced.

• how can i tend to my own growth this season?

  sometimes tending to your growth requires consistent effort and energy, other times it’s rest. be honest with yourself about how you want to grow, and what it requires of you.

• what is on your spring bucket list? what do you need to do in order for it to feel like spring?

  make a joyful list of things that feel truly spring to you. maybe a new tradition you want to hold each spring, or an activity or day planned to honour spring in all it’s glory.

• as the days grow longer and lighter, what does my nervous system need in order to feel safe enough to bloom?
  a goal of mine is always a regulated nervous system—but what do i need to support that? more rest, more structure, more sunlight, more silence? think of how you can foster safety in your body, or a sense of calm as calendars get busier. in what ways do you notice overwhelm, and how can you address them?

• how can i invite the energy and themes of spring into my life and my home?

  perhaps its a morning window opening ritual, more coffees enjoyed on the porch, no screens in sight. maybe you want to embrace a sense of whimsy, wonder, or lightheartedness.

spring cleaning — releasing, letting go, moving onwards and upwards

• what do i hope this spring will show or teach me?

  this could be more internal and introspective, or it could be more literal— something you want to learn to do this spring.

• what am i holding on to thats asking to be released?

  sometimes we hang onto old habits or pieces of life that aren’t actually serving us anymore, but the comfort outweighs the fear of the unknown.

• where do i keep saying “yes” out of habit rather than desire?

  the tasks and plans that feel more draining than uplifting. there’s a quiet message there—not just a nagging, but a desire for something different.

• what does clearing out emotional clutter mean to me?

  if you were decluttering emotion and thoughts the way you do a junk drawer, what would be the first to go?

• what parts of your winter self are you ready to let go?

  maybe you’re ready to shake off the sleepiness, or stretch out a heaviness thats been sitting with you for some time.

• what are you ready to walk away from? and where will you head instead?

  sometimes things don’t wrap up all neat and tidy in a bow. sometimes things just stop needing your attention or your time. maybe you’re ready to take a different path now.

• what 3-5 words represent my march mood?

  peaceful, bright, light, energized, blooming, quiet, simple, complex, loud, soft…

• what feels lighter than it did last season?

  maybe its your home, that’s been brightened by extra hours of sunshine. maybe it’s you, releasing the sleepy heaviness of winter, emerging anew.

• what did winter teach me?

  maybe you learned patience, perseverance, or how to find joy and lightness in the dark. write whatever you feel like you took away from winter.

• in what ways have i been holding onto fear when it comes to growth?

  growth can be beautiful, but it can also be scary and challenging. sometimes it feels easier and safer to stay stagnant in what we know—whats comfortable—than to branch out.

• choose one thing (emotion, habit, feeling ) that you need to let go of, and write it a goodbye letter.

  this goodbye could be gentle, or more forceful like you’re setting a boundary. thank this habit or feeling for what it gave or taught you, and then release it.

• is there a pattern that consistently shows up in my life? and what is it trying to tell me?

  habits, ways of reacting, or recurring situations that keep showing up. notice without judgment: this is not about blame, but observation. patterns aren’t always bad (or good), but sometimes a repeating pattern in our life is asking something of us. maybe you need to shift something to create a different ending.

field notes — noticing spring unfold, nature collecting, sensory

• what smells, sounds, or sights tell me winter is loosening?

  the birds returning to our yard, jumping around and singing. the mud in our gravel driveway after the snow and slush all melts. the first pops of green in the tree that canopies our garden.

• describe the first true signs of spring you’ve noticed

  head outside or sit by an open window in the early spring, and take note of the little subtle changes that often go unnoticed: the first birdsong, the sparkle of the ice melting off the trees, the change of the buds just beginning to open up on branches.

• sit outside, and notice the scent of the air, the sounds you hear layered— write it all down in as much detail as you can

  take as much time as you need. before you begin to write, just sit and notice. close your eyes to pay closer attention to the scents and sounds. pay attention to what fades into the background vs what takes center stage.

• what colour is most present in your world this week?

  this could be in nature, or in your home, or maybe just a colour you feel particularly drawn to. if you haven’t noticed one stand out, maybe take a walk and follow the first pop of colour you see.

• go for a walk with your journal, and quickly jot down signs of spring like you’re an explorer noticing changes in a new world

  imagine this isn’t your world, and you’ve never seen spring before. go on a walk and note whats changing— there’s something green sprouting from the ground, and a white flower where there wasn’t one before.

• how does your body, your energy, feel different in the early spring vs deep winter?

  notice the physical changes in energy and emotion that come with more light and warmer weather.

• collect a few little pieces of nature you can press between the pages of your notebook — petals, a little twig, a bud— and record where you found each

  forage for little bits of spring to hold onto. find pieces that speak to you.

• what animal or symbol feels like my early-spring companion?

  perhaps you always notice a robin in your yard, or you start to see bunnies everywhere you go. describe them as a little spring buddy or familiar, give them a personality and a story.

• head out on a journal date (to a park, a river, the countryside, the forest) and notice everything thats moving.

  pay attention to the water flowing, the clouds moving across the sky, the branches gently rustling in the breeze, a child swinging. describe it all in detail.

• find one plant, tree, or flower and follow its changes over a week.

  what do you notice about it’s growth, texture, and movement? how has it bloomed or opened up?

• pay attention to the light shifting in your home now that the days are getting longer. what areas are holding more light?

  the way the light shifts through the house as the seasons change always feels like a moment of everyday magic. is there a corner now lit that once was dark? how does the sun shine in during the mornings and evenings now?

• art study: go outside and sketch a tree or flower that brought you joy this week.

  it doesn’t have to be good, don’t worry about artistic ability or perfection, just drawing and capturing it with a sense of childlike wonder

wildflower tales — creative story writing and imaginative prompts

• a woman discovers that every spring, something in her garden blooms that wasn’t planted. this year, it’s different…

  maybe its something dark and mysterious, magical or otherworldly.

• write from the perspective of a seed underground, just before it decides to split open

  how does it feel? what does it think? does it consciously decide to split or does the split happen, despite the seeds unreadiness.

• write a letter from february to march (or march to february, saying goodbye)

  maybe they’re friends, or lovers, or enemies? (and then lovers…)

• a girl finds a doorway in the woods after the equinox… where does it lead?

  if alice can fall down the tunnel to wonderland, why can’t you? at least in your mind.

• the snow in a town melts away in the spring, revealing a hidden secret…

  perhaps it’s some arcane magic symbol, or the townsfolk were hiding something deep within the snow. maybe a mystery unfolds and you have to solve it.

• a forest path rearranges itself every spring, leading travellers somewhere new

  each year on the equinox the path through the forest changes. maybe it leads to a new realm, or maybe travellers on the path become lost.

• on the first night of spring, the veil thins, and the fae return to collect what they are owed…

  are they tricky and evil, sweet but stern? do they take a sacrifice or a tithe?

• a woman discovers she has been unknowingly tending a gateway to the fae realm in her garden

  what does it look like? how did she discover it? what happens if she steps inside…

• imagine the trees and flowers can talk and each have their own personality, write their story and how their conversations would sound

  this one reminds me of alice in wonderland, when the flowers talk to her (and some are a little rude!). i love the idea of talking to flowers about their lives in the garden bed.

• imagine you are alice, and you travel to wonderland—what funny characters do you meet along your journey?

  who would you have be in wonderland? i’m sure you can tell alice in wonderland is a favourite story of mine, and it feels particularly spring-y, so how fun is it to reimagine an old favourite with our own lens?

• a witch brews a potion to help the forest awaken for spring, only to discover that the potion awakens something inside her too.

  maybe she awakens something spiritual, metaphorical, or maybe it’s a power she didn’t know she could possess.

• on the first day of spring, a figure clothed in moss rides into town on a horse. he comes carrying a riddle that must be answered before the spring can begin. what is the riddle, and who dares to meet him?

  i was inspired by the story of sir gawain and the green knight for this one, but i love reimagining that as a story of spring, the figure not allowing spring to come unless someone solves his game.

i hope this spring (somewhat)guided journal practice inspires you to put pen to paper, sit with your thoughts, and let your imagination take a wander down a sunny green path. thanks for showing up—both here with me, and for yourself.

—kyla ⏾

ps. if you feel like sharing, let me know your favourite journal or creative writing prompt for spring, or one you’ve just made up.

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the first of march was sunday; a raw, drizzling day…
—george eliot, middlemarch

march. there is so much to be said for this sweet month. the first month of spring, a period of renewal and rebirth. i’ve always loved the energy of march, like emerging from beneath the frost, a fresh beginning blowing in with the warmer breeze. while the spring equinox isn’t until march 20th, meteorological spring begins on the 1st, which is when spring really starts to me. the energy shift is almost immediate. while it still looks like mid-winter here in nova scotia, the promise of spring carries with it new hope and excitement.

i feel like spring is the most under-appreciated season. its beauty is in its softness—unlike the distinct landscapes of winter, glowing heat of summer, or the burning hues of autumn, spring feels more subtle and understated. the snow and frost gradually melt away, and slowly but surely green leaves and buds return to the branches. flowers begin to open up, not all at once in a big show, but in little whispers you have to pay attention to really notice. the warmth is more subtle too, still mixed with coolness in the air during the mornings and evenings. spring isn’t loud. instead, it’s gentle quiet is a reprieve. like a breath of fresh air, the calm after the storm, the soft grass underfoot after months of icy snow.

for a gentle spring

the energy of march: softness, gentle growth, subtle change, peace, light

march is a mix of feelings—it comes with bursts of energy and invigoration, followed by lulls and moments of tiredness, the grip of winter not fully loosened yet. what march offers us is permission to move without having the whole plan. to take small, measured steps toward something that feels warmer, even if the air is still crisp. it’s a month that knows that readiness is overrated, and that many things begin simply because staying still has become more uncomfortable. that sometimes change happens when we least expect it, just like the shift in the trees regaining their leaves, subtle shifts happen that you don’t always notice until one day you look outside and the landscape is green again. you don’t need to perform, you just need to participate. to trust the subtle cues—the restlessness, the curiosity, the quiet urge to clear a space or change a habit. if february is about closeness and january about endurance, march is about renewal and reentry. stepping back into your own life with a little more softness and awareness than before. letting the season teach you that growth doesn’t always arrive all at once.

march was once the start of the new year, back in ancient times. i personally feel like that has never left—it may not be how we celebrate the new year anymore, but somehow that energy is ingrained in us, like it’s written in our DNA. march asks us to take notes from nature. everything else is re-awakening or being birthed. while our calendar doesn’t force us to follow the same rhythm, it feels so much more natural to embrace what the world has set up for us. to take this time to re-set and refresh. to let go of what no longer serves you, and welcome the warmth of settling in to who you’ve always been, even if you have to defrost a little first.

it was one of those march days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade.
— charles dickens, great expectations

welcome spring

1. bring green indoors

   i’m a lover of indoor-outdoor living. spaces that blur the boarders between whats outside and whats in. living rooms that naturally carry outwards to a patio or garden, mornings spent on a porch. while march is likely still too cold in many places to fully embrace more outdoor living and lounging, start inviting the outside in in little whispers—a potted plant, flowers, a countertop herb garden.

2. make the house smell like spring

   bringing outside in helps with this, the scent of flowers or growing herbs can add a subtle spring scent to your air. i also love changing over things like scented hand soaps and candles each season—because scent is so tied to memory, and it’s such an easy way to shift the vibe at home. for spring lean towards light, airy, maybe floral scents. smells that make you think of flowers blooming, garden afternoons, the sweet smell of spring on the breeze.

3. swap to lighter linens

   swapping out linens for lighter ones feels like a ritual of it’s own. the day we can finally shift bedding from heavy flannels to lighter cotton and linen is a day to be savoured. it’s like a quiet ceremony, folding and packing away winter for another year, inviting spring in with the folding and placing of a linen sheet or lighter throw blanket. i also love to swap out throw pillows and blankets with lighter patterns and colours, a visual sign that spring is here.

4. wear spring

   even if it’s still cold out and the weather doesn’t quite call for a change in wardrobe, make a point this march to pull out your favourite spring piece and wear it—a dress or skirt paired with a knit, a light sweater, pastel colours. find ways to blend winter and spring in your wardrobe, like you’re welcoming spring and wearing it’s palette.

   

chase the signs of spring

1. listen for birdsong

   open the windows, step outside, or go for a walk and just listen. headphone free, listen for the return of bird calls you haven’t heard in a while, their sweet notes floating through the air. hearing the birds sing in our yard is always such a welcome sign that spring is near.

2. let the sunlight guide your day

   pick a sunny day where the air feels just a touch warmer, and let the light guide you. wake up for sunrise, have your coffee outdoors, go on an afternoon walk, step outside in the evening and watch as the sun dips behind the trees.

3. plant early seeds — a small indoor planting project

   this is the time to start planting indoors in my zone—check your hardiness zone and last frost, and see when you need to start. if its not quite time or you wan’t a lower commitment, you could even start a windowsill herb garden, get a few succulents, or even some kitchen scraps that can regrow (like green onions or lettuce). make it a little project for yourself, something low stakes that you can tend to. it’s an ongoing activity that grows alongside the season and keeps the feeling of spring present.

4. a wonderful wander

   go for a wander through your neighbourhood and notice the way things are changing—the melting snow, the dripping frost on the branches, and the first buds on the trees opening up. visit a park even if it’s still a bit frosty, and notice the patches of green replacing brown muddy landscapes. pay attention to the shift in the scent of the air—i’m convinced each season has it’s own distinct smell. one you can’t quite pinpoint or describe until it’s there. get lost in your own world, going down paths you’ve never been down.

   

indulge in gentleness this march

1. a weekly baking ritual

   treat yourself with a weekly baking ritual. choose a day each week—one that feels unhurried—and let it be your baking day. make a treat to enjoy throughout the week. open the windows and let the fresh air move through the kitchen, mingling with the sweet smells of dough and batter. choose recipes that feel distinctly spring—incorporating fruits or spring flavours: strawberries, oranges, blueberries, lavender. let the flavours feel light and hopeful, something to bridge the gap between winter comfort and spring freshness. a way to welcome the sweetness of the season.

   • recipes i love for spring:

     orange muffins

     strawberry short cake

     carrot muffins

     banana loaf

     lemon lavender cookies

2. write a letter to march

   not a long letter, more like a love note. write about what you admire about the month, the excitement for the shift to spring. tell it what you’re excited to do with it. let your letter be tender and unguarded, like you’re speaking to a dear friend. make a little ritual of it—light a candle, have some peaceful spring music on, and take your time. draw spring doodles in the margins, and enjoy this cozy moment shared between just you and the month of march. fold your letter and place it between the pages of a book or under a plant.

3. do one mindful activity a day
   pick small and manageable things, so it feels attainable rather than like an obligation. let it be quiet and low pressure. you could journal a few lines, do a short guided meditation, stretch in the light of a window, colour in a cozy colouring book. approach this mindful time with softness. it isn’t a practice in tracking, fixing or improving. its a practice in presence—giving your attention to small joys or observations rather than productivity. it shouldn’t feel overwhelming, more like a brief check in with yourself and a moment to re-center. it could be as simple as sitting by the window for 5 minutes, just watching outside.

4. pick a march companion book

   choose one book and consciously decide not to rush through or binge read it. let it be a companion book to carry you through the month. march calls for a story that feels like a friend. something that feels grounding, and cozy. you could take a stroll through the bookshop and pick a book that sticks out to you—maybe a genre you don’t often read, or one that seems to carry the energy and theme you hope spring will hold. it’s comforting to think of a book like it’s a friend you’ll check in with throughout the whole month.

   

spring reset

1. clean one space in your house

   pick a slow afternoon, and dedicate it to a specific corner or area of your home. don’t over commit—this isn’t a whole house clean-out, it’s a practice in gentle care. choose an area of your home thats been quietly asking for your attention, put on a show or podcast, and take your time organizing and cleaning like its a ritual of its own.

2. set up a little hobby or reading corner

   choose a hobby that will carry you through spring, and set up a little corner dedicated to that hobby. pick a peaceful area of your home—in a corner, by a window that gets good light. get yourself a basket to put your supplies in, a small side table to host your drinks and snacks, and set up your favourite blankets for the ultimate cozy set-up.

3. get back into rhythm

   in many ancient cultures, the arrival of march marked the start of the new year. spring represents renewal, rebirth, and the cyclical nature of life, so it makes sense as a fresh start that feels more aligned with nature and what it asks of us. take this time at the beginning of the season to get back into a rhythm, or adjust your routines for spring. winter was a period of rest, spring is a period of renewal—re-commit to your goals, and decide what you want your focus the next few months to be. plan a coffee date with yourself and your planner or tablet, and host it like a meeting. go over goals, plans and steps to take.

4. make a soft spring wish list

   not of items, but of the vibes & feelings you want spring to cary. your intentions for the season, to-dos, a little activity bucket list. cozy, soft, bright, unhurried. keep it light and personal—it doesn’t have to be a long list of things to do, just a handful of feelings, moods and moments you want to cultivate. let these feelings and moments guide your march, shaping it into the month you dream of. you can plan little activities that nourish and nurture the vibes you’re coveting—soft blankets and quiet moments at home, days in the countryside soaking up the spring sunshine, a long walk in the woods, a drive to the sea.

written between the lines — journal prompts for march
some inspiration to write about

1. what part of me is still winter tired, even as spring arrives?

2. what did winter teach me this year?

3. if march is a doorway, what am I stepping into?

4. what 3-5 words represent my march mood?

5. if march were a myth, what would the story be?

a list of celebration-worthy dates in march…

clocks ‘spring ahead’ — march 8th (north america), march 29th (uk)
not really a celebration, we lose an hour of sleep…

international womens day — march 8th
take time to honour yourself (and/) or the wonderful women in your life. if it weren’t for women, none of us would be here.

pi day — march 14 (3.14)
i know its mathematical pi, but maybe treat yourself to a pie?

st. patricks day — march 17th
always a fun celebration, irish or not! wear green, make a fun treat, go out for a green beer.

spring equinox — march 20th
a day to rejoice, we made it through the winter. spend time in nature, embrace the coming warmth.

and here is a watchlist for your cozy evenings in this month, full of new releases and sweet comforts to curl up with:

new movies:

• peaky blinders the immortal man — march 20th (netflix)

• project hail mary — march 20th

• reminders of him — march 13th

• hoppers — march 6th

• forbidden fruits — march 20th

• ready or not 2: here i come — march 27th

• the magic faraway tree — march 27th

new tv shows:

• vladimir — march 5th (netflix)

• young sherlock — march 4th (prime video)

• outlander - season 8 — march 6th (starz)

• something very bad is going to happen — march 26th (netflix)

• murdoch mysteries - season 19 — march 2nd (acorntv)

• the tiktok killer — march 6th (netflix)

comfort movies for welcoming spring nostalgia:

springtime makes me crave all things green, bright, and fantastical. think faeries and magic, layered landscapes and flowers. i tend to gravitate towards old nostalgic comforts full of whimsy, and i love a period piece in the spring. the rolling hills and beautiful dresses feel so quintessentially spring to me.

• the secret garden

• alice in wonderland — the old disney classic, and the newer one

• pride and prejudice

• emma

• marie antoinette

• the spiderwick chronicles

• tangled

new books to add to your tbr:

• a far‑flung life by m.l. stedman — march 3

  western australia, 1958. a truck rumbles along a lonely outback road, and in a few seconds the lives of the macbride family are shattered. fate returns in a twist that will cost one their life and another their sacrifice for an innocent child. a far-flung life explores isolated hearts and the secrets they guard to survive across a vast, flat landscape.

• the moonshine women by michelle collins anderson — march 31

  each batch of strong moonshine carries matriarch lidy strong’s secret touch, and the three strong sisters must keep the family and their still alive after tragedy strikes. from the ozark mountains to hot springs, arkansas, their quests for vengeance, love, and survival burn as fiercely as the moonshine they craft.

• starside by alex aster — march 31

  hundreds of years after a war split the land, starside holds magic and immortals while stormside is ruled by mortals. aris, orphaned and seeking vengeance for her family, must survive a deadly competition, claim a powerful sword, and navigate deadly magic, creatures, and betrayal to reach the gods.

• strangers in the villa by robyn harding — march 3

  sydney lowe’s life is upended when her husband admits to an affair, and they retreat to a remote spanish villa to repair their marriage. when a pair of australian travelers arrive seeking help, dark secrets surface, testing their bond—and not everyone will leave alive.

• the library of amorlin by kalyn josephson — march 3

  former con artist kasira is sent to infiltrate the library of amorlin for the kalish ambassador, posing as an assistant to spy and destabilize its secrets. but as she discovers the library’s wonders and grows drawn to its mysterious librarian allaster, her loyalties—and survival—are tested.

• whidbey by t kira madden — march 10

  birdie chang escapes to whidbey island to flee her past and the man who abused her, only to be drawn into a dark plan for revenge. as connections emerge with another survivor and her abuser is found dead, a tense search for answers begins in this searing and original whodunnit.

• wolf worm by t. kingfisher — march 24

  in 1899, scientific illustrator sonia wilson takes a position with the reclusive dr. halder in north carolina, hoping to put her talents to use. she soon discovers dark experiments, strange animal behavior, and deadly secrets that may threaten her life.

• star shipped by cat sebastian — march 3

  actors simon and charlie have spent years clashing on a long-running sci-fi show, each convinced the other is insufferable. when a staged friendship leads to a road trip, simon begins to see charlie in a new light—and discovers that their complicated connection might be more than he expected.

• a lady for all seasons by t.j. alexander — march 10

  it is universally acknowledged that a single noblewoman who has lost her fortune must secure her future by any means. verbena montrose hatches a marriage-of-convenience plan to save her family, only to be charmed by the mysterious poet flora witcombe, who may hold secrets of her own.

• innamorata by ava reid — march 17

  a gothic fantasy of necromancy, vengeance, and soul-consuming love, where the last heirs of the fallen house of teeth must reclaim forbidden magic and avenge their family. marozia and her silent cousin agnes face dangerous passions and treasonous desires as they navigate a kingdom on the brink of ruin.

as march welcomes us into a new season, let this post serve as a gentle reminder to embrace what nature asks of us this month. hold space for slowness and comfort along with invigoration and renewal. if you didn’t feel on and ready for the new year in january, treat spring the way our ancestors long ago did, and let this be a period of changing habits and goals. shake up your routines a bit, and take the coming weeks as a creation period— one where you have the power to curate and craft the season you want to have. the magic of spring is upon us!

—kyla ⏾

ps. what do you feel changing in yourself this month? feel free to share here, or turn inwards and share in your journal.

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sweetness through the seasons

what is seasonal living?

seasonal living means aligning your life—your routines, diet, and habits—with the natural seasons. matching natures pace, and letting mother nature be a guiding hand. it’s a practice in noticing. noticing how the light changes through the year, or how the weather gently brings us outside or turns us inward instead. choosing different activities, textures, scents and foods to honour each season and let them truly breathe on their own. at its heart, seasonal living is an intentional way of paying attention, letting nature shape how you rest, create, gather, and care for yourself.

seasonal living— notes from the past

i truly think seasonal living is something deeply ingrained in us through evolution and our ancestry, not something we just choose to opt in or out of. before we had 9-5 jobs in front of screens, and unlimited access to any produce we want, seasonal living was a necessity. even before we had artificial lighting and electric heat to brighten and warm our homes, daily life was structured almost entirely by the natural limits of light, temperature, and the agricultural calendar. the seasons dictated when we worked, what we ate, and how we rested. time was not forced into standardised hours or weeks, but experienced through the turning of the year itself.

in those days, spring was a period of renewal—renewed activity as soil thawed and daylight returned, allowing for garden and crop planting, and the birth of livestock. summer saw long days of work, tending crops and storing the earlier harvests. autumn marked the time to collect the fruits of our labour—harvest time was a big work season, because the food all had to be gathered before frost set in. and then winter, in contrast, was a slower season. one of rest, with the cold frozen ground and short days making fieldwork impossible. work shifted inward, with things like home repair, food preservation, textiles, and maintenance.

this seasonal rhythm was also deeply tied to the sunlight and the way it shifts throughout the year. before the use of artificial lighting, the sun determined the work day. while candles and oil lamps were an option, for a long time they were costly, dim and inefficient. people would rise and rest with the sun.

even though we no longer depend on the seasons in the same way, and life is shaped quite differently for most, the old rhythms of seasonal living are still ingrained in us. for tens of thousands of years, human life existed in close relationship with the seasons, and our bodies adapted to it. our sleep, energy, and mood are still shaped by daylight and darkness, which is why winter can feel heavier and spring often brings a sense of renewal, even when modern life doesn’t slow down or speed up with it.

it’s like an inheritance—our nervous systems and instincts were built for seasons, they don’t operate in a straight line. we experience periods of effort followed by rest, or abundance followed by quiet. when we feel the urge to slow down in winter or begin again in spring, it’s natural. these days seasonal living is not necessity, but it’ a way of living that feels familiar because we’ve truly always known it.

i wish we could embrace this way of living more but modern life has definitely taken some of it away, with 9-5 schedules the whole year long. eating the same way in the summer and winter thanks to modern convenience (and listen, thats one part i do love). but we can still embrace seasonal living in ways that feel attainable, and can go hand in hand with our ‘regular’ lives.

a guide to modern seasonal living:

the seasons:
as energies carried through the year

• spring: renewal, gentle momentum, and re-fresh. a time to clear out old energy (and stuff), and plant seeds (literally and metaphorically)

• summer: bright, outward, expressive. a time for more plans, social gatherings, and exploration.

• autumn: focused, grounding, cozy. a time for harvesting, preparing, and slowing down into comforting rituals.

• winter: slower, quieter, inward. a time for rest, reflection, less commitments. peace, and more time at home.

seasonal living—in the home:

a few easy ways to have seasonal living show up at home

I. lighting shifts

• notice how the light shifts through the seasons

  pay attention to how the light shifts in your home. what corners get darker or brighter? how does the sun shine differently through the months? maybe you need to re-arrange some lamps and candles to add warmth to dark corners in the winter, and pull the curtains back earlier in the summer to welcome morning light.

• embrace a changing schedule

  with the seasons and changing light, embrace how it might change your routine. winding down earlier in the winter when we have more darkness, or slow easy mornings before the sun comes out. staying out later, with more energized plans in the summer when daylight stretches through the evening. an afternoon spent curled up reading in the winter turns into time spent in the garden in the spring, or on the beach in the summer.

• light your home for the season

  in the winter when it’s dark, embrace warm lamps and more candles to add a soft, subtle glow. make a ritual of ‘closing down’ the house early, as the light fades. shut the curtains, dim the lights and light the candles for their evening shift. in the summer, have a little routine to ‘wake up’ the house — strip the curtains back early, switch to lamplight late, open the windows for fresh air.

II. sights, scents and textures

• decorate for the season

  it doesn’t have to be grand or expensive. even just changing out a few pieces of decor to signal the switch of the seasons. a few different pillow covers cycled through the year, prints you change out of frames seasonally, or a few pieces of decor to swap around. instead of buying new every year, find pieces you feel excited to pull out each year, bringing with it the memories of all the seasons past.

• seasonal scents
  i love switching up the scents in my home depending on the season, with things like hand soap, candles, air fresheners, oil in diffusers, etc. really anything scented becomes seasonal for me.

  my scent profiles:

  • spring: gentle, fresh florals, and bakery scents. jasmine, orange blossom, banana bread (my favourite candle)

  • summer: bright, fresh and salty. sea salt, citrus, with light floral notes for balance

  • autumn: more warmth and gourmands. pumpkin, coffee, caramel, cinnamon.

  • winter: gourmands and warm scents. woodsmoke, vanilla, balsam

• textures

  swapping out textiles with the seasons is such a simple way to feel the year shift around you. light, airy fabrics for spring and summer, cozy, heavier ones for autumn and winter—just a few small changes can make your home feel in tune with the season. you don’t need to overhaul everything; even a pair of bedsheets, one set for spring/summer, one for autumn/winter, or a new throw blanket or pillow covers on the couch, can create a subtle shift. these little touches separate the seasons visually, and make each one feel distinct and comforting at home.

  • spring/summer: linen, lace, cotton, light crochet, silk and satin

  • fall/winter: wool, chunky knit, velvet, flannel, corduroy

III. indoor-outdoor living

• in the garden

  the easiest way to feel tied to the seasons is to experience them first hand, outside. step outside each season and notice whats changing—the plants blooming or loosing their leaves, the warmth of the summer sun or chill in the autumn breeze. it’s easy to enjoy the yard in the spring and summer, especially if you garden, but autumn and winter hold their own beauty as well. plan activities and hobbies you can take outside through each season.

• pieces of nature at home

  change out greenery where you can, to invite the outside in. have seasonal flowers out in spring and summer(bonus points if you grow them yourself) and swap for foraged branches and evergreens for autumn and winter. changing up natural elements in your home is perfect to honour the seasons in a sustainable way. rather than buying a bunch of junky, mass produced decor, try decorating mostly with things you can return to the earth when you’re done with them. no clutter or trash.

  spring:

  • flowers: tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, ranunculus, lilacs, babies breath

  • potted plants: baby ferns, peace lilies, small orchids, herbs like basil and mint

  • foraged: budding branches (willow, cherry), moss, fresh green leaves,

  • extras/diy: hyacinth bulbs in pots, sprouting bulbs in water jars, floral wreath or basket on the door, dried flowers

  summer:

  • flowers: sunflowers, daisies, zinnias, lavender, cosmos

  • potted plants: small citrus trees, geraniums, herbs like rosemary or thyme

  • foraged: wildflowers from walks, leafy branches, berries, shells, sea glass, driftwood

  • extras/diy: trailing ivy, ferns in hanging pots, window-sill herb gardens, seaglass mosaic

  autumn:

  • flowers: chrysanthemums, marigolds, dahlias, asters

  • potted plants: kalanchoe, mini pumpkins in pots, ornamental cabbage/kale

  • foraged/diy: fallen leaves, acorns, pinecones, small branches, seed pods, dried wheat or grasses, pumpkins and gourds, chestnuts

  • extras: dried flowers, homemade branch wreath

  winter:

  • flowers: amaryllis, paperwhites, hellebores

  • potted plants: mini conifers, cyclamen, christmas cactus, holly or ivy in pots

  • foraged: pine branches, cedar, eucalyptus, holly berries, bare branches for a sculptural look

  • extras/diy: moss, small evergreens in decorative pots, berries, cranberries, wreath

seasonal living—showing up in your life:

a few easy ways to have seasonal living show up personally

I. personal routines

• adjust your days
  where you can. i know with modern schedules and jobs, that isn’t always possible. try to shift wake-up times, bedtime, or work hours to align with how your body naturally feels. plan for more rest time in the winter, and more go-time in the summer. it’s okay to adjust your productivity and momentum with the energy of the seasons, in fact, its natural. winter means slowing down, summer means speeding up.

• rotate seasonal rituals

  have little seasonal rituals you look forward to in each season. they don’t need to be big, grand plans, but even just little pockets of calm and grounding. these rituals can be as simple as lighting a candle, taking a short walk, arranging something from nature, or enjoying a favourite seasonal drink. by consciously rotating them with the seasons, you give your days a subtle rhythm and allow the passing of the year to feel tangible and intentional, helping you stay connected to the nature around you, and your own inner world.

  • spring: morning coffee in the garden, flower arranging once a week

  • summer: barefoot beach walks, sunset stretching or yoga

  • fall: weekly leaf walks, sunday baking

  • winter: evening reading with tea by the fire (or fireplace tv), journaling practice

II. self care

• personal scents

  much like with home scents, i love rotating my perfume wardrobe for the seasons. the way our memories are tied to scents make pulling out the same perfumes each year feel nostalgic, like saying hello to an old friend. i find it so deeply grounding to choose a scent for myself that matches the vibe of the day and time of year.

  • i shared my favourite scents for each season in their own substack posts, which you can find here: spring, summer, autumn, winter.

• seasonal skincare

  as the seasons and weather shifts, so too does what our skin needs. i love developing a little skincare routine carefully tailored to my skin and the effects the weather has on it. doing my skincare is like a little meditation i look forward to every evening, and changing it up for the seasons makes it feel even more intentional.

  • spring/summer: lightweight textures, gel creams, spf, exfoliation, dewy sheet masks

  • autumn/winter:rich textures, thick moisturizer, vitamin c, hydrating face masks

III. seasonal enjoyment

• hobbies for the seasons

  adjusting activities for the season makes each one feel distinct and special. i love partaking in activities that are specific to each season, but even beyond that, simply allowing myself to shift my hobbies with the time of year brings a sense of rhythm to life. activities skiing in the winter, gardening in spring, ocean swims in the summer, or leaf peeping road trips in autumn—each are specific to the season they’re in, and something i get to look forward to each year. consider hobbies that feel grounded indoors for late autumn and witner, vs outdoor hobbies for spring and summer.

• a seasonal wardrobe

  partially out of necessity—our small house doesn’t have endless storage—and partially for the joy of it, i rotate my wardrobe with the seasons. there’s something delightful about packing away thick, cozy sweaters and pulling out light blouses, flowy dresses, and airy fabrics that feel like a little celebration of the changing year. each transition makes getting dressed feel intentional, like stepping into the mood of the season, and even the simple act of swapping hangers becomes a gentle way to mark time and honour the rhythm of the year. this also goes hand in hand with having a capsule/heirloom wardrobe, being intentional about what you’ll be excited to pull out season after season, year after year.

  wardrobe staples for each season:

  • spring: lightweight knit, white skirt, rain boots

  • summer: flowy dress, airy blouse, comfortable sandals

  • autumn: chunky cardigan, wool coat, knit socks

  • winter: knit sweater, a good coat, wool scarf, winter dress

• comfort media

  possibly the easiest, and also my favourite way to honour each season. i’m a sentimental, deeply nostalgic person, and returning to my old favourite comfort shows and movies year after year feels like returning to a piece of childhood magic. i love keeping lists of favourite media for each season—books, movies, tv shows. some new, most old classics. the media i consume has the power to instantly make it really feel like the season. (it’s not autumn in my house until halloweentown is playing on the tv).

  • i’ve made a few posts on my seasonal comfort media. you can find them here: spring, summer, fall, winter

the seasons—as they’re written:

ways to embrace the magic of the natuaral seasons

I. celebrate

• celebrate each holiday — even the small ones

  the holidays are little celebrations that mark the passage of time throughout the year. i love leaning into the seasonal joy of each holiday, even the smaller, more understated ones. it’s easy to celebrate the big holidays like christmas, easter, or halloween, but there’s something special about carving out time for little traditions on the lesser-celebrated days like st. patrick’s day, valentine’s day, or earth day, for example. these smaller moments give the year rhythm and texture, turning ordinary days into opportunities for joy, connection, and reflection. you can make your own tradition — a green baked good or fully green meal for st. patricks, for example. it doesn’t have to be a huge commitment, just a little way to say ‘hi, i see you’ to those smaller celebratory moments.

• solstices and equinoxes

  much like holidays, carve out time for a tradition or ritual to celebrate the solstices and equinoxes of the year. they’re the soft, natural milestones that mark the turning points of the year—one season changing to the next. the solstices and equinoxes serve as an invitation to notice the subtle shifts—the days lengthening and shortening, the changing of the weather. celebrating these moments in the year feels like connecting more deeply to the cycles of nature, cultivating a sense of wonder for the changing seasons.

  • spring equinox: notice new growth outside, clear out old clutter, begin fresh projects or habits, welcome the feeling of renewal

  • summer solstice: spend time outdoors in the sun or by the sea, gather with friends, honour abundance, move your body in ways that feel joyful

  • autumn equinox: savour seasonal foods and flavours, take a mindful leaf walk, reflect on gratitude, release what no longer serves you

  • winter solstice: light candles or a small fire, reflect on the past year, set intentions, savour quiet and stillness at home

• seasonal gatherings

  the best way to celebrate the season is around a table of good food, surrounded by good company. i love planning little get-togethers with seasonal themes and menus; i’ve shared many here on boring things over my time writing. shaping meals, dinner parties, or small get-togethers around the rhythm of the year turns ordinary social moments into celebrations of nature. whether it’s embracing the abundance of a summer, the cozy warmth of winter, or the fresh renewal of spring, each season offers its own mood, flavours, and atmosphere to inspire your hosting. small touches—changing table settings, choosing seasonal foods, decorating with natural elements—make entertaining feel intentional, magical, and in tune with the year.

II. lean into seasonal rhythms

• gardening

  i’ve mentioned gardening as a hobby a few times, but it’s something i’ve become really passionate about learning. not only is it a fun and rewarding hobby, but it feels important to be somewhat self sufficient and know how to tend the land. gardening isn’t just a spring hobby either, it takes careful planning and preparing that can be done in any season. i like to plan in the winter, so that i know when to plant each of my seeds indoors, when to move them outside, etc. then in spring and summer gardening looks like tending outside, watering often, barefoot outside and dirt under fingernails.

  • spring: planting season! the most exhilarating part. the excitement of seeing what will grow.

  • summer: tending. continuing to care for your plants that are now grown, re-planting as needed.

  • autumn: harvesting and prep. gathering the last fruits of your labour, and prepping garden beds for protection before a long winters sleep.

  • winter: planning. get a calendar and mark important dates — frosts, when certain seeds need to be planted

• produce

  even if you don’t garden or plant your own food, you can lean into seasonal rhythms by shopping local produce at farmers markets and fruit/veg stalls outside. we have tons of those in our area, where people bring their harvests to a road stand. it’s a great way to support the local community, and shop whats in season. even just being mindful of what options are local in the grocery store. for example here in nova scotia, we have strawberries in store all year, but in the summer you can find little wood crates of local strawberries and they’re always the best!

• cooking

  in line with shopping in season, you can also shape what you eat around the rhythms of the year. eating seasonal foods, exploring recipes that highlight fresh produce, and leaning into what’s naturally available turns the kitchen into a way to mark time. it feels magical to let the seasons guide your meals, having little rituals in the kitchen depending on the season—sunday soup for fall and winter is a favourite, or big bright salads in the summer.

  • spring: seasonal vegetables, light stews and casseroles, fruit pies

  • summer: berries, salads, homemade ice cream, fruit tarts

  • autumn: soup, stews, cider, roast dinners, apple crumble

  • winter: soups, sweet baked treats, hot cocoa

III. enjoy the world as it is

• activities

  plan activities for each season that you keep mainly for that season. like skiing in the winter, or swimming in the ocean in the summer. something that makes the season feel uniquely it’s own, and something to be enjoyed while it’s here and then looked forward to once it’s gone. i find that having seasonal activities really lets each season carve it’s own space out in my year.

  • spring: gardening, flower walks

  • summer: swimming in the ocean, flying kites

  • autumn: foraging, leaf peeping

  • winter: skiing, snow shoeing, an indoor crafting project

• in nature

  try to get outside as often as you can in each season, and enjoy all of the weather it has to offer. feeling the extremes of each season carried in the air, and learning to love the changes makes each season feel special and aligned. it can be harder to do in winter when it’s cold and blizzarding, but stepping outside for a few moments to soak in each aspect of the season teaches you to find beauty even in what feels uncomfortable. nature is so amazing, how it shifts and changes throughout the year is something to cherish.

i hope this seasonal living guide fills your cup the way it has mine in writing it. maybe you’ve felt the pull towards more seasonal living, or maybe this inspired you to try it out. a well lived, rich life doesn’t just happen to us, but it’s carefully crafted through intention and choosing to create moments of joy and connection—with ourselves, and the world around us. 🌿

—kyla ⏾

ps. what is your favourite way to honour seasonal living?

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the best dinner parties are a little imperfect. a dish that runs late, a second bottle of wine opened on a whim, the candle wax dripping on the tablecloth after conversations carry deep into the night. when you stop hosting perfectionism and let it sit unnoticed at the edge of the table, the room fills again—with warmth, with ease, and with love.

you don’t need to throw it out dramatically, or permanently revoke it’s invite. you can just stop taking its suggestions, serve the meal anyway, and enjoy the present moment. you let the conversation wander, and eventually, the night softens once you stop hosting for it.

permission slip to enjoy the imperfect

i’m a control freak. i know that sounds bad or self deprecating, but i don’t mean it that way—it’s just true. it’s not clean unless i clean it. my lists have lists. everything i do is carefully planned, even down to my rest time. i’m super type-a, a perfectionist, and i need everything done a certain way—the right way. i think some of that comes from wanting to feel steady and safe in an unsteady world. like i want to feel a sense of peace in what feels unpredictable and anxiety inducing. there’s a softness hidden in that impulse, even if it doesn’t look soft from the outside. i like knowing where things belong, like placing books back on a shelf, or smoothing a bed sheet. control, to me, feels like keeping my hands gently around the edges of my life, making sure nothing slips too far away. it’s a quiet intimacy with the details—a devotion, to care.

and honestly, at times i love that about myself. i can appreciate and love my dedication, my drive, my desire to make everything perfect, beautiful, and efficient. i carefully make plans and have everything written out. i always know what needs to be done, where i’m going, what i’m doing. there’s something grounding in that kind of order. i know it makes me reliable, responsible, hardworking, and organized—all good qualities. it feels like lighting small lamps along a path so i can see where i’m stepping, even when the future is dim. there’s intention in that steadiness. i do like the way order holds me, reminding me that i am capable and in control.

but on the other hand, that control can be a detriment. i never shut off. if things aren’t done right it really bothers me. it’s hard to balance that feeling with rest and relaxation. i wrote this note last month and have been turning it over in my mind ever since. it got me thinking about the quiet tension between perfectionism and rest. like they can’t quite co-exist, or if they can, why haven’t i struck that balance? stillness can feel undeserved, like i’m borrowing it instead of earning it. and in that space between wanting everything just so and wanting to finally exhale, i feel myself wondering if my devotion to getting things right sometimes keeps me from simply being. that by trying to optimize every moment, i’m missing the parts of life that exist only to be lived, not perfected.

i feel the best when i’m super productive. to be honest, sometimes rest feels lazy. i feel guilty not spending every moment of every day working toward something—whether it’s keeping my house clean, working on content, or working on myself. when i take a day off from it all, i feel a little anxiousness bubbling under the surface. worry that i’m ‘losing’ my productivity, and that i may slip into bad habits. that rest is something to be earned, not taken freely. even when i ‘relax,’ it comes with a metric. i love to read—and i love tracking each book toward my reading goal. i scroll on social media—saving ideas for content creation or jotting down notes for posts. even when i sleep, i’m waking up and checking my sleep and readiness scores on my oura ring, seeing if i properly optimized to get a high score. i don’t often just rest and really turn off. and if i do, it’s planned and scheduled. i know when i’ll be resting, what i’ll be doing, and i still need everything to be clean and done before i allow myself to fully sink in and relax. i drive my husband crazy when i insist we have to finish the cleaning and chores before we hang out on the weekends (i can’t sit down knowing there are dishes waiting in the sink).

when i’m fully caught up and everything is checked off, i often struggle with feeling like even that it isn’t enough. instead of feeling pride at a cleared to-do list, i’m searching for what else to add to it—like i always need to be reaching for more. i feel “lazy” if i finish everything too early in the day and don’t have more lined up, or if my focus softens before i think it should. even when i do need to take a rest day, i spend a lot of it feeling guilty about what i’m not doing.

if this sounds like you, first of all i want to say i see you and i understand. take this post as a permission slip to let it go just a little bit. to loosen your grip on your perfectly planned to-do list, and just be.

you don’t have to abandon your ambition or stop caring about doing things well. you don’t have to become someone messy or unmotivated to deserve a softer day. this is just an invitation to unclench your jaw, to leave one box unchecked on purpose, to let the dishes wait while you sit in the quiet for a minute longer than what feels productive.

you are not only valuable when you are efficient. you are not only worthy when everything is optimized. there is a version of you that exists outside of accomplishment—the one who laughs too long, who lingers in conversations, who watches the light change in the late afternoon without turning to self-loathing over missed productivity.

if you’re struggling with perfectionism, i don’t have a perfectly wrapped answer for you—i’m still figuring it out myself. i still feel the pull to tweak, refine, redo, to make things just a little better before i let them be seen. some days that drive feels empowering; other days it feels like a cage i built with good intentions. what i’m learning, slowly, is that perfectionism often disguises itself as high standards when sometimes it’s just fear of being ordinary, or visible, or wrong. they say if you fail to plan, you plan to fail, but what if it’s not about failure at all? what if instead it’s letting some parts of life be messy and imperfect, and falling in love with them anyway?

i’m trying to practice releasing things at 90% instead of 100. to let something be finished even if it isn’t flawless. to remind myself that most of the beauty in life happens in the messy middle, not in the polished final draft. maybe the goal isn’t to stop caring or striving, but to loosen the grip just enough that we can still feel our lives while we’re building them.

somewhere in that loosening, i’m realizing that nothing truly meaningful has ever waited for me to be perfect. wonderful moments arrive whether i’m ready or not. life keeps unfolding in real time, not once everything is optimized. i’m trying to meet myself where i am—capable, flawed, unfinished—and trust that showing up imperfectly is still showing up. it still counts. the time will pass anyways, you get to choose whether to be present for it or planning for it.

let this post be your reminder that life is not a performance review. sometimes the most radical thing you can do, especially when you are wired to perfect everything, is to let something be imperfect and allow yourself to stay anyway. to relax into it. to decide not to be better, and just be.

perfectionism is both a blessing and a curse. if you’re a fellow perfectionist, this is your permission slip to to set perfectionism on the shelf, and pick it back up later. that there can be beauty in the unpolished, lived in moments, and that rest for rests sake is worthy. you are allowed to exist without improving anything at all.

—kyla ⏾

ps. if you’re a perfectionist too, let me know what little way you plan to release a little bit of control this week 🤍

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i sometimes like to turn my research into essays, papers, posters and projects, just like i did in school. other times though, the research is fun on its own, and doesn’t need super intentional documentation. it doesn’t have to be a grand, month-long study or anything formal. research can be a soft hobby for your quieter moments, a way to trade mindless scrolling for something that actually feeds you.

+10 logic points 🧠

i’ve put together a little list (little… it’s quite long) of topics i’ve enjoyed or would love to study, all drawn from some of my favourite interests. history, the arts, folklore and conspiracies. i’m sharing it here in case you need inspiration for your next study session. save it, return to it, and let curiosity lead the way.

literature and film — for when you want to dig deeper into what you watch and read

(written works, ancient literature, authors, storytelling, film history, media production)

• how the works of shakespeare influenced modern language

• ovid’s heroides and the mythological female voice

• ophelias madness monologue and symbolism behind it

• the theme of redemption in classic literature

• aesop’s fables

• lost, forbidden, or “cursed” texts

• marginalia and doodles in medieval manuscripts

• the play 4 saints in 3 acts by gertrude stein — the history of the production

• mary shelly while writing frankenstien

• dark origins of fairytales

• the disastrous production of the wizard of oz

• how jim henson created the muppets

• the history of puppetry

• cursed films

  • poltergiest

  • the exorcist

  • rebel without a cause

• the lost plays of ancient greece

• the role of censorship in the shaping of victorian novels

• early roman performance poetry and imrov

• the history of colour film

• cult classic films that were ‘failures’ but have a lasting impact on cinema

• books and movies influenced by automatic writing (spirit writing)

• hidden esoteric symbolism in cinema

• subliminal messaging in film

• the history of banning books

• the epic of gilgamesh

• the invention of modern high fantasy

• the history of bibliomancy

• nosferatu 1922 and the influence of local vampire legends

• james joyce’s finnegans wake and

• lost epic poems such as:

  • the battle of maldon

  • the cynewulf poems

  • the telegony

  • the finnesburg fragment

  • the iliou persis

• the history of banned books and why they become banned

• the disney animators strike of 1941

history and science — for when fact is stranger than fiction

(documented history, space, archaeology, biology, physics, real people/events)

SCIENCE

• supernovas

• mycorrhizal networks

• electroreception and electrogenesis

• what was found at the bottom of the mariana trench

• anatoli bugorski — survived a nuclear particle accelerator

• quantum theory and physics

• the fibonacci sequence in nature

• alex the parrot

• earth’s very early history (hadean)

• exoplanets

• the taos hum

• chernobyl’s red forest

• the marfa lights in texas

• the immortal jellyfish

• pando the quaking aspen clone

• lysenkoism in soviet agriculture and its disastrous consequences

• the greenland subglacial lakes, and the bacteria that live there

• rogue planets and black holes

• white dwarf stars

• whe wow! signal (1977)

• gravity probe B

ANCIENT HISTORY

• the antikythera mechanism

• the library of alexandria theories

• the sex lives of ancient greek and roman elites

• imhotep, architect of the oldest egyptian pyramid

• cleopatras daughter

• the siege of masada

• the antikythera shipwreck

• the tomb of china’s first emperor - qin shi huang and the the terracotta army

• the amber road

• the sumerian king list

• the hanging gardens of babylon

• the tomb of pharaoh tutankhamun, and weird burial artifacts

• julius caesar and cleopatras affair

• the rosetta stone and its role in deciphering egyptian hieroglyphs

• persecution of pagans in the late roman empire

• the catacombs of kom el shoqafa in alexandria, egypt

HISTORY

• victorian “cures” for female hysteria and the medicalization of women

• medieval animal trials

• victorian mourning traditions

• the paris catacombs

• the lost colony of roanoke

• the dissolution of the monasteries in 1500s rome

• theodora of constantinople

• the salem witch trials

• the circus blizzard of 1980

• dorothy good — youngest girl ever accused of witchcraft, and samuel ray

• the alcatraz prison escape

• edward v the 12 year old king of england

• murders in the muzo mineshafts

• the humbert affair

• historical practices for human waste disposal

• ainu people of Japan

• the history of route 66

• thomas eddisons part in deciding where hollywood would be

• nellie bly

• the red flag fleet, the largest pirate fleet in history

• tituba before salem

• the mammoth cave of kentucky

• princess louise, queen victorias rebel daughter

• the history of christmas

• the little girl who accused her whole family of witchcraft in 1612

• albert pierrepoint — a british executioner

• the assassination of kim jong-un’s half-brother kim jong nam

• the bal des ardents

• barnet burns — the english sailor who lived as a pākehā māori

• the 1696 window tax

• the history of arctic exploration

• the tudor era

• the “ravensbrück rabbits”

• the real story of marie antoinette

• egyptomania

• the death of the poet lord byron

• the voyage of the russian baltic fleet

• the space race

• the boston molasses flood

• The Golden Age of Piracy

• the history of witchcraft

folklore and myth — for when you’re craving something magical

(mythology, magic, religious belief, occult traditions, symbolic cosmology)

• the lore of the fae and faeries

• the children of woolpit

• the voynich manuscript

• the codex gigas

• arthurian legends and the story of merlin

• mermaids in myth

• the lore of the selkies

• the history of alchemy

• folklore of the aurora borealis

• camille monfort, the so-called amazonian vampire

• vampire legends across different cultures

• hunting for a unicorn horn: narwhal tusks in medieval monsters

• history of unicorn mythology

• theodicy

• the history of tarot

• history of grimoires

• folk tradition of the benandanti

• the myth of the baba yaga and her hut

• ancient mesopotamian underworld

• lykaion cannibalism, arcadian werewolf

• black annis

• the wild hunt

• fylgja — a nordic folklore supernatural being or spirit which accompanies a person in connection to their fate or fortune

• the history of jinn

• adze

• alchemy and the transformation of metals

• the book of thoth

• the legend of tlaloc’s children

• nüwa and her role in chinese mythology

• the legend of the flying dutchman

• spirit communication in 19th-century victorian magic

• pontianak

• the morrigan

• the children of lir

• the tale of the golem

• alchemical symbolism in art and manuscripts

• solstice and equinox rituals

• the history of curses and blessings in agriculture

• folk explanations for natural disasters — like tornadoes, earthquakes, etc.

• the story of krampus

• sabbat rituals and celebrations in early modern european witchcraft

• lunar magic practices in witchcraft

• the history of witch familliars

• the philosopher’s stone in alchemy

folk stories from around the world:

ireland (celtic folklore)

• the banshee – awailing spirit whose cry foretells death

• the púca – a mischievous shapeshifting spirit

• cú chulainn – hero of the ulster cycle

• the children of lir – siblings turned into swans for 900 years

japan

• kitsune - magical fox spirits with multiple tails

• yuki-onna - a ghostly snow woman

• momotarō - the peach boy who fights demons

• trashima tarō - a fisherman who visits an undersea palace

• tengu - supernatural mountain beings

scandinavia (norse & nordic folklore)

• the nisse - a household guardian spirit

• the draugr - an undead revenant

• the uldra - a beautiful forest woman with a hidden tail

• fenrir - the monstrous wolf of ragnarök

• krampus - a horned christmas punisher

germany:

• hansel and gretel - children lost in the woods

• rumpelstiltskin - a trickster who spins straw into gold

• the pied piper of hamelin - a mysterious piper who lures children away

• weiße frau - the white women, elf-like spirits which may derive from german paganism

greece (ancient greek myth)

• medusa - a gorgon whose gaze turns people to stone

• persephone - queen of the underworld; explains the seasons

• orpheus - tries to rescue eurydice from death

• theseus - slayer of the minotaur

india

• the mamayana - the story of rama and sita

• the mahabharata - epic of the kurukshetra war

• vetala - a corpse-dwelling spirit

• naga – divine serpent beings

indigenous north american traditions

• wendigo – a cannibalistic winter spirit

• raven – a creator and trickster figure

• sedna – goddess of the sea and marine animals

• manitou - spiritual life force present in all things

• skinwalkers - malevolent shape-shifters

arctic / inuit

• sedna - goddess of sea mammals; controls hunting success

• qalupalik - humanoid sea creature that kidnaps children

• tornarsuk - powerful shamanic spirit; protector and guide

• sila - spirit of the sky, weather, and life force; sometimes personified

• kiviuq - legendary hero who goes on epic journeys, encounters spirits and monsters

russia:

• vasilisa the beautiful - a heroine who overcomes baba yaga with wit

• baba yaga - the fearsome witch who lives in a hut on chicken legs

• koschei the deathless - an evil sorcerer whose soul is hidden away

• domovoi - guardian spirit of the home

• rusalka - water nymphs, sometimes dangerous, sometimes benevolent

• bogatyrs - knightly heroes of russian epic tales, like ilya muromets

conspiracies and mysteries — for when you want to question everything

(unproven claims, speculative explanations, modern myths, institutional secrecy)

• walt disney frozen head conspiracy

• the bermuda triangle mystery

• real life time travellers — documented cases

  • mike marcum — the man who says he built a time machine

• ss. warratah ship disappearance

• california hoax of 1893 chicago worlds fair

• the secret societies that rule elite campuses

• the history and spiritual belief of remote viewing

• morphic resonance

• the dark side of the troubled teen industry

• the vanishing of doggerland (an archaeological ‘conspiracy’)

• the time cube

• the kaz II “ghost ship” mystery

• the smithsonian hiding skeletons of giants

• 33 thomas street

• action park — an extremely dangerous theme park

• cults:

  • heaven’s gate

  • branch davidians

  • aum shinrikyo

  • the peoples temple

  • the manson family

  • children of god

  • FLDS

  • scientology — and the history of l ron hubbard

  • NXIVM

  • unification church (the moonies)

  • source family

  • love has won — mother god

  • buddhafield

• high profile art theft / museum heists

• MKUltra

• the chronovisor in the vatican basement

• dorced sterilization programs in the 20th century

• the magdalene laundries

• the dyatlov pass incident

• the flannon isles lighthouse mystery

• COINTELPRO — illegal FBI projects

• operation mockingbird

• secret detention facilities

• the black eyed children

a study ritual—to guide your research and reflection

• set the scene

  time of day, drink, music, mood. set up a little study section, get your notebook and favourite pen, a drink, light a candle.

• a central question:

  what am i trying to understand?

• context:

  the 5 w’s: who/what/when/where/why? (and how)

• strangeness:

  what’s the weird, dark, or unexpected part?

• meaning:

  what does this reveal about people, belief, or fear?

• connection:

  what does this remind me of or link to elsewhere?

• lingering thought:

  one question i’m left with.

marginalia:

• open the text / subject— a book, article, film still, manuscript scan, lecture

• mark instinctively— underline what sticks out to you, circle what confuses you, star what feels important before you know why. be messy and free with it.

• margin whispers— write words or fragments in the margins—fear, power, heresy, loss, control, sacred, forbidden. little notes or questions you’re left with.

• interrupt the text— question the author directly in the margins (why? for whom? at what cost?) write like you’re talking to the source.

• collect symbols— sketch or jot recurring images, metaphors, or motifs

finish this practice in your journal. sit with yourself and your thoughts. write about how your research makes you feel. what part of it inspires you? what do you want to know more of?

some journal prompts:

• what sentence or detail refuses to leave my mind?

• what does this topic suggest people were afraid of losing? or finding?

• what feels unresolved, censored, or deliberately forgotten?

• if this text had a moral or warning, what would it be?

• how does this connect to another subject i’ve studied recently?

• what emotion did i feel most strongly while reading—curiosity, dread, reverence?

• what question would i ask (the author, creator, first hand account) if i could?

i hope you found something that sparked interest for your next research deep dive. let curiosity guide your way.

—kyla ⏾

ps. what topic has always interested you?

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you have such a february face, so full of frost, of storm and cloudiness
— william shakespeare, much ado about nothing

what a sweet month february is. by the second of february, we are officially past the mid-way point of winter, the hope of brighter days stirring within the hush of the cold. the days feel ever so slightly longer, the sunshine just a little softer. it’s a month that invites us to soak it all in. balancing being present with looking ahead. february weather feels like the best winter has to offer—lot’s of snowy days, paired with sunshine that reminds us spring is in fact, on the way. the way the sun glows through the trees, sparkling on freshly fallen snow just hits different in february.

for seasonal joy

i always get a sense of excitement this time of year— maybe partly because it’s my birthday month, but also because february feels invigorating. like shaking off the sleepiness of the restful months before, coming out with just a little more energy. winter is for rest—and that is still a big part of february, but i can’t help but feel electrified with a little buzzing under the surface. like a flower patiently waiting to break free from beneath the frozen ground, and bloom.

to-morrow is saint valentine's day, all in the morning bedtime, and I a maid at your window, to be your valentine
— william shakespeare

enjoy the sun in mid winter

1. plan an outdoor activity

   february is the perfect month to plan an outdoor activity — skiing, a winter hike, or anything that gets you moving and out into the pale winter sun. the days are gently growing brighter now, and with that comes a subtle shift in energy. i can feel myself emerging from winter hibernation, just a little, stirred by the light and the fresh cold air and the promise of spring. there’s a sense of renewal in it—feeling energized, clear-headed, and ready to embrace the last, beautiful stretch of winter before it slips away.

2. a taste of seasonal confusion

   do something that’s maybe kind of impractical for winter. think: having your coffee outside even though it’s cold, or a picnic in the snow (dress appropriately and bring a thermos of tea or cocoa to keep warm). it’s less about comfort and more about novelty—about letting winter feel playful instead of restrictive. try borrowing an activity you usually save for spring and bringing it into winter as a small preview of what’s to come, a quiet reminder that the seasons are already beginning to turn.

3. winter day trip

   plan a little day trip to enjoy winter from a different point of view. we always go for a drive through the countryside, or head to one of nova scotia’s many quiet coastal towns. with the cold air, empty shorelines, and bundled walks, winter carries a softer, more intimate kind of beauty. pop into a few local shops to warm up, linger over coffee, or settle into a restaurant for a long, cozy lunch before the sun starts to dip. it makes the day feel like a small escape, something special tucked into the middle of the season.

4. air out the house

   open the windows to let the fresh february air in. there’s something so deeply refreshing about letting the cold clean air move through the house, even in the winter. it’s a mini pre-spring ritual while the air still feels cold and invigorating, like a mint but for the home. i love opening my windows on a sunny winter day, even just for a few moments. even a few minutes is enough to shift the mood, leaving the house feeling lighter and brighter. it’s a small act, but one that makes winter feel less closed-in and more alive—like a quiet invitation to what’s coming next.

savour the quiet

1. have an analouge weekend

   you know that little spark of joy when the power goes out, and all you can do is light a candle and read a book? why does that feel like such a quiet luxury these days? a weekend without devices and obligations feels like such a gift. it’s so easy to let the weekends slip by, a flurry of notifications, chores, and plans. it’s a rare to have a weekend truly to yourself, so schedule it like a meeting you can’t miss. plan some crafts, board games and books to read, and make it a mini vacation from phones and technology. stay home and avoid your emails guilt free.

2. write yourself a love letter

   take a moment to sit with yourself and put into words what you admire, what you’re proud of, what you’ve carried through the winter. write it gently, the way you would to someone you love deeply, with patience and care. it doesn’t have to be grand or overly emotional; even a few honest lines can feel like an anchor. like a valentine, from you to you. you can write to your past or future self, or keep it light hearted and write it like a valentine you’d give to your elementary school crush.

3. sunday brunch ritual

   winter mornings call for something warm and unhurried. have a weekly sunday brunch ritual at home—oatmeal simmered slowly, eggs and toast, pancakes and bacon just because. let the kitchen warm up while the rest of the house stays quiet, coffee brewing, light coming in softly through the window. a cozy comfort that makes winter mornings feel intentional, a reminder to move softly while the season still asks for it.

4. an early night

   set aside one evening this month for an intentional early night in. clear your plans, dim the lights earlier, and let the night arrive without resisting. make something simple for dinner(or reheat leftovers), choosing ease over effort. put your phone on dnd, or at least out of reach, and move through the evening slowly—a warm bath and a book you don’t need to rush through. tuck into bed early, white noise on, a deep sleep pillow spray on the sheets, ready to slip into dreamland.

start planting seeds

1. plan out a spring project to look forward to

   take the time to plan (not execute) a spring project. maybe there’s a corner of the home you’ve been neglecting, or a DIY you want to do. maybe it’s garden plans for spring, or a crafting project. take some time to really plan it out—what you want to do, what you need to do it, what day you should start, etc. make it exciting, something to look forward to sinking into come spring.

   • if you’re planning your garden like i am, i recommend checking out this page on the farmers almanac website. you can enter your postal code or city, and it gives you a planting calendar for growing seeds indoors, when to move outdoors, first and last day you can start—based on weather and the moon cycle as well.

2. create a mini bucket list

   for what you want to do before winter ends. with only a few(or more…) weeks left of winter, think about what you did this winter and if there was anything you wanted to do but didn’t. it doesn’t have to be anything grand, even just making a small, crooked snowman, or tossing a big rock through the ice on the lake. take this time to check off anything you love to do each winter before the season is gone for another year.

3. freshen up your spring things

   wash your spring bedding, and start flipping your closet to lighter colours and textures. dust off your rain boots and gardening gloves, ready for another season of use. it’s so fun to pull out old favourites at the turn of the season, and knowing they’re clean and smelling fresh for when the weather is ready for them is a small, underrated comfort.

4. treat yourself to flowers

   honour the coming season by treating yourself to fresh flowers, inviting a little bit of spring into your home early. like a teaser for what’s to come, and a subtle way to bring in colour and joy during the heart of winter. there’s something romantic about it—choosing blooms when the world outside is still bare, like they don’t quite fit in (in a good way). let them soften a room and lift the mood. i love having fresh flowers on my kitchen island so i get to enjoy them multiple times a day, because we all deserve a little beauty in our lives and homes.

soak up whats left

1. enjoy the snow before its farewell

   there’s something so special about these last stretches of winter, when the days are slowly lengthening but the season still holds its grip. get outside as often as you can to soak it all in—even something simple like stepping out into the cold with a warm mug of coffee in hand, going for a drive after a fresh snowfall, or curling up by the window with a book while the world feels hushed and white. it’s not about doing anything remarkable, and more about noticing the beauty. letting winter be fully felt before it melts away.

2. one last winter movie night

   have one last winter movie night in. pick a cozy evening, make something warm for dinner, and settle in early while it’s dark outside. pile on the blankets, light a few candles, and choose a few movies that feel specifically winter. have some hot cocoa and seasonal treats to cozy up with after. spend the night enjoying the simple comfort of staying in while winter still lingers outside.

3. a night away (or staycation)

   we always go away to a little cabin in february for my birthday, and it feels like the perfect winter getaway and send-off to the season. there’s something especially comforting about being tucked away somewhere quiet this time of year a small cabin deep in the woods, snow on the ground, nowhere to be. we spend the time resting, reading, playing board games, and letting the days move slowly, soaking in winter instead of rushing toward what’s next. i know a trip away isn’t always feasible, so if you can’t go away make a staycation at home and make it feel like a vacation. even if it’s just a staycation close to home, stepping out of your usual routine for a night or two can make the season feel complete, like a gentle closing chapter before it begins to shift.

4. go inward

   as winter comes to a close, spend some time in your journal to sit with how this winter felt. write a short reflection; take a quiet moment to look back on the season as it’s beginning to soften—what you loved about it, what felt heavy or challenging, and what you’re ready to leave behind as the days grow longer. it doesn’t have to be polished or profound, just honest. even just a page or two. think of it as a gentle closing ritual, a way of acknowledging what this winter held for you before turning your attention forward. when you’re done, close your notebook like a little goodbye to the season, with love.

written between the lines — journal prompts for february
some inspiration to write about

• what moments from this winter do i want to remember when the season is passed?

• what brought me comfort this winter?

• if this winter had a smell, what would it be?

• what habits and routines helped me get through the darker months?

• what parts of winter do i want to honour one last time before they’re gone?

• what did i wear on repeat all season long?

• what did i romanticize the most about winter this year?

• what intentions do i want to carry into spring?

below you’ll find a watch and read list for february, full of old and new comforts.

comfort movies for snowy days in:

soaking in the last of the wintery vibes before i transition to spring & summer movies next month. i love anything cozy, lots of snow, mystery and intrigue. aiming for “winter but not christmas” vibes because by this point in the winter i’m fully over christmas.

• groundhog day (1993)

• little women (2019) & little women (1994)

• fargo (2014, series)

• fargo (1996, movie)

• snow day (2000)

• ice princess (2005)

• snow white & the huntsman (2012)

• the huntsman: winter’s war (2016)

• the hateful eight (2015)

• the grand budapest hotel (2014)

• Anastasia (1997)

• Pride and Prejudice (2005)

• murder on the orient express (2017)

• harry potter series

• the girl with the dragon tattoo (2011)

new movies and shows to sink into:

movies:

• wuthering heights — february 13th

  a passionate and tumultuous love story set against the backdrop of the yorkshire moors, exploring the intense and destructive relationship between heathcliff and catherine earnshaw. emerald fennells take on the story of classic novel wuthering heights by emily brontë. i’m sligtly skeptical but also excited to finally see this edition come to life.

• How to Make a Killing — february 20th

  disowned at birth by his obscenely wealthy family, blue-collar becket redfellow will stop at nothing to reclaim his inheritance, no matter how many relatives stand in his way. a comedy thriller centring around a wealthy family—my favourite genre.

• Dracula: A Love Tale — february 6th (in north america)

  when a 15th-century prince denounces god after the loss of his wife he inherits an eternal curse: he becomes dracula. condemned to wander the centuries, he defies fate and death, guided by a single hope - to be reunited with his lost love. this movie came out in france last year, and i will admit i watched it online already. visually stunning, and the yearningggg. i’ll be seeing it again on the big screen for sure.

• gale: yellow brick road — february 11th

  dorothy, now an elderly woman haunted by her past, tries to warn her granddaughter emily before dark forces pull her into oz, a once familiar land now twisted by horrors. a new, spooky take on oz. only out for a very limited theatrical release.

tv:

• the ‘burbs — february 8th, peacock

  a young couple moves back to the husband's childhood home, only to face threats from new neighbours and uncover dark secrets of their cul-de-sac. a dark comedy series based on the 1989 film. i love anything with picture perfect neighbourhoods where things aren’t what they seem.

• bridgerton: season 4 part 2 — february 26th, netflix

  the eight close-knit siblings of the bridgerton family look for love and happiness in london high society. i actually haven’t watched bridgerton yet, but i absolutely love a romantic period piece(or historically-imagined, anyway). the costumes and sets are stunning, so i think once part 2 of season four comes out, i’ll binge watch the whole thing.

• the last thing he told me season 2 — february 20th, appleTV

  a woman forms an unexpected relationship with her 16-year-old stepdaughter while searching for the truth about why her husband has mysteriously disappeared. based on the novel of the same name, written by laura dave. i didn’t know about this show before, but i love anything with a domestic thriller vibe so it’s been added to my list.

new books to add to your TBR:

1. strange animals by jarod k. anderson — february 10th

   after a series of strange encounters strands green in the appalachian mountains, he discovers a hidden world of cryptids under the guidance of a centuries-old hermit, forcing him to confront his own transformation—and a looming threat to the magical place he’s come to love.

2. the mixed marriage project: a memoir by dorothy roberts —february 10th

   blending memoir and history, dorothy roberts explores her parents’ interracial marriage and decades-long research into black–white relationships in chicago, uncovering family truths that reshape her understanding of race, love, and identity.

3. when i kill you by b. a. paris — february 17th

   haunted by a past she’s tried to erase, nell masters suspects she’s being watched as secrets from a murder she once obsessively pursued threaten to resurface—with deadly consequences.

4. adrift by will dean — february 17th

   when two aspiring writers retreat to an increasingly isolated canal boat, a family’s fragile balance fractures under jealousy, bullying, and gaslighting—triggering a devastating unraveling.

5. it’s not her by mary kubica — february 3rd

   after discovering her brother and sister-in-law murdered during a family vacation, courtney gray must untangle buried family and small-town secrets to learn whether her missing niece is a victim—or the killer.

6. agnes aubert’s mystical cat shelter by heather fawcett — february 17th

   when a type-a cat rescue manager discovers her shelter fronts an illicit magic shop run by a charming failed dark lord, she must protect both the cats—and the man—from enemies threatening everything she’s built.

7. where the wildflowers grow by terah shelton harris — february 17th

   after surviving a prison transport crash that kills everyone else, a haunted woman finds refuge on a secluded alabama flower farm, where found family and unexpected love offer healing—until the past she can’t outrun returns.

8. a hymn to life: shame has to change sides by gisèle pelicot — february 17th

   after uncovering years of abuse by her husband and strangers he invited into their home, gisèle pelicot recounts her life and her courageous decision to speak publicly, transforming personal devastation into a global call to shift shame and confront sexual violence.

a few extras:

9. ours is a tale of murder by nora murphy — february 10th

10. apparently, sir cameron needs to die by greer stothers — february 3rd

11. white river crossing by ian mcguire — february 24th

12. little one by olivia muenter — february 3rd

13. this is not about us by allegra goodman — february 10th

february reads | honouring black authors and black history:

i wanted to include a section here specifically about books by black authors. i’ve included a mix of non-fiction and some fiction. some are more serious and heavy—but important to learn from, others are more lighthearted.

memoir & nonfiction:

1. i know why the caged bird sings by maya angelou
   in this landmark memoir, maya angelou recounts a childhood shaped by racism, abandonment, and trauma—and how literature, resilience, and self-love helped her find her voice and freedom.

2. go do some great thing: the black pioneers of british columbia by crawford kilian

   this historical account traces a black community in the gold-rush pacific northwest as it sought freedom and political rights, situating their story within the making of canada, imperial rivalry, Indigenous history, and the global african diaspora.

3. long walk to freedom by nelson mandela

   in this definitive autobiography, nelson mandela recounts his journey from rural childhood to anti-apartheid leader, detailing decades of struggle, imprisonment, and sacrifice that led to south africa’s transition to multiracial democracy.

4. incidents in the life of a slave girl by harriet ann jacobs

   harriet jacobs recounts her escape from sexual abuse and enslavement, including seven years hiding in a tiny garret, and her determined fight for freedom and reunion with her children.

5. twelve years a slave by solomon northup

   born free in new york, solomon northup recounts his kidnapping in washington, d.c., his sale into slavery, and twelve brutal years in bondage on louisiana plantations before his eventual rescue.

6. bone black by bell hooks

   in this lyrical memoir, bell hooks traces her Southern girlhood and awakening as a writer, reflecting on black girlhood, solitude, creativity, and the sustaining power of books.

7. coming of age in mississippi by anne moody

   anne moody recounts her upbringing in jim crow mississippi and her awakening as a civil rights activist, offering a firsthand account of the dangers and courage of the movement.

8. the warmth of other suns by isabel wilkerson

   isabel wilkerson chronicles the great migration of six million black americans through the intertwined lives of three individuals, revealing how their journeys reshaped both their lives and the nation.

fiction:

1. the love songs of w.e.b. du bois by honorée fanonne jeffers

   spanning centuries, this sweeping novel follows ailey pearl garfield as she reckons with race, inheritance, and “double consciousness” by uncovering the intertwined histories of her ancestors in the american South.

2. their eyes were watching god by zora neale hurston

   fair and long-legged, independent and articulate, janie crawford sets out to be her own person—no mean feat for a black woman in the '30s. janie's quest for identity takes her through three marriages and into a journey back to her roots.

3. another country by james baldwin

   set in greenwich village, harlem, and france, this emotionally charged novel explores love, desire, and identity across racial, sexual, and political lines with raw intensity.

4. sing, unburied, sing by jesmyn ward

   a mississippi family sets out on a dangerous journey to parchman prison, confronting grief, racism, and the fragile power of family bonds amid the lingering ghosts of america’s past.

5. the color purple by alice walker

   through letters exchanged over decades, following the lives of black women in rural georgia as they endure abuse, separation, and silence—and find resilience, love, and redemption.

6. homegoing by yaa gyasi

   spanning three centuries, homegoing follows the diverging descendants of two half-sisters—one in ghana, one enslaved in america—revealing how the legacy of slavery shapes generations, families, and nations.

7. bed & breakfast bedlam by abby l. vandiver

   pn the run from the fbi, an insecure archaeologist lands in a coastal georgia town and gets swept into a murder mystery—with a dash of romance and help from a sharp-witted, ninety-something voodoo herbalist.

8. james by percival everett

   reimagining the journey of huckleberry finn from jim’s perspective, this novel follows his flight toward freedom down the mississippi, illuminating his intelligence, agency, and humanity.

9. the hate u give by angie thomas

   after witnessing the police killing of her unarmed childhood friend, sixteen-year-old starr carter must decide whether to speak the truth—and risk everything—as her community erupts in grief and protest.

10. the vanishing half by brit bennett

    after identical twin sisters take radically different paths—one living as black, the other passing for white—their intertwined lives reveal how race, identity, and the past shape generations to come.

11. a princess in theory by alyssa cole

    a practical grad student who scoffs at fairy tales falls for a man she thinks is a pauper—only to discover he’s an african prince searching for his missing betrothed, and love may change everything.

12. only for the week by natasha bishop

    at a destination wedding in tulum, a bride’s sister and her ex’s best friend agree to a no-strings fling—but undeniable chemistry makes them question whether one week can turn into forever.

as we enter february, let this be your permission slip to soak up a little extra winter joy, and hold space for spring excitement as well. and a gentle reminder that brighter days are ahead, but not to wish this time away. february contains a specific beauty, and it’s here for such a short time. take it all in—step outside to smell the snow, listen to the rivers flowing stronger, the birdsong returning. savour the small joys this month has to offer.

—kyla ⏾

ps. how are you going to enjoy nature this month? how does february feel to you?

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wintering well is not about enduring the season with bated breath, but about learning its soft language. it asks us to slow our steps, let evenings stretch, and to accept that our world feels a bit smaller now and that this, in itself, is a kind of richness. winter turns everyday life into something beautiful, magical, and comforting.

enter a love affair with winter

i know winter is a hard season for many. between the dark, seemingly endless nights, and frigid cold weather, it can be a tough time to find joy. while it’s meant to be a season of cozy comfort and rest, for some people it feels more like a trial. something to suffer through, counting down the days until spring. winter can feel long and taxing—the lack of vitamin d and sunshine, the slippery roads hard to walk, plans cancelled due to blizzards. but it doesn’t have to be that way, at least not solely.

i wanted to write a little post about wintering well—which to me, means growing an appreciation for the season and it’s offerings. remembering to do things that fill your cup, honour what nature wants from us, and enjoy the beauty of winter.

i think winter is such a romantic season. it feels intimate and beautiful. the way the cold draws us inward, darkness falls early and we turn to lamplight and the glow of lit candles—the perfect mood lighting. it feels like a time for closeness. soft conversations, and gathering with loved ones. winter even looks romantic, with landscapes edges softened under the snow. its palette is romantic, with blush pastel skies, creams, greys, soft whites, muted greens, and the faintest gold when light touches frozen ground. winter reminds us that stillness can be rich, that tenderness can exist, even in the cold, and things can be stripped back, simplified, and somehow made more luminous in the process.

i think part of finding joy in this season, and all the others, is romanticizing the parts that are uniquely it. winter is cold, grey, dark and moody. but it’s also light, pastel, glowing and sparkly. and it is possible to love both sides. finding awe and wonder for the way the world changes. that the earth somehow knows exactly what to do season to season. the trees don’t question dropping their leaves—they know that as the seasons change, so too must they. and their blooms of bright leaves will be shining in the sun before long. the animals fur coats get thicker, pleasantly plump to keep warm in the winter months. animals that hibernate prepare for a long winters rest, ready to emerge in the spring.

even just looking out your window, and admiring what you see for the beauty it holds. the bare trees are a different kind of beauty, their limbs now fully exposed, so you can see the twists and turns that symbolize many years of steady growth. the snow that caused cancelled plans can be something beautiful too, a reminder that sometimes what we need most is a night in. seeing the world covered in a blanket of white will always be magical if you take a moment to recognize it. or the way the nighttime looks so much brighter when snow covers every surface. lit up, reflecting the moonlight. a completely different world compared to the regular darkness of night with no snow.

getting outside, despite the cold and dampness, makes romanticizing that much easier. choosing to actively participate instead of wishing this time away. remembering that we are a part of nature, and it is a part of us. there’s something so magical about being outside during the winter, noticing the pastel skies in the morning and evening, how they differ from the burning bright skies of summer. seeing the way the frost coats everything in a layer of glitter. or the snow, making everyday moments look magical and brand new.

wintering well also means deep, unapologetic rest. taking notes from nature, rest is a big theme. many animals are at rest in hibernation, the plants and trees in a dormant state, or sleeping under the surface of frozen ground, waiting to bloom again in spring. it’s an intentionally slow season. nothing is rushed or wasted. rest is not a failure, but a necessary part of becoming.

this is an intentionally slow season, one that invites us to soften our expectations of ourselves. to spend long evenings on the couch, to welcome early bedtimes, to let days be shaped more by need than ambition. there is peace in allowing life to narrow to warmth and stillness. trusting that what looks like a pause is actually a preparation, readying you to bloom again, too. winter reminds us that rest is not the opposite of growth—it is where growth begins.

it also helps to have something to look forward to in winter—an activity you only do then (hiking of course, and skiing for me). or maybe a book you saved for winter, with beautiful snowy imagery. a craft you’ve decided to only do in witner, or special recipes pulled out for this time of year. choosing a tradition is an act of choosing joy.

making the most of winter days doesn’t have to be complicated. it can be as simple as an afternoon curled up with a warm drink and a good book. baking a special treat, or cooking a warm meal to cozy up with. looking out the window and choosing to love what you see. the more excited i get for each season, the easier it is to love them all for exactly what they offer, rather than only seeing what they lack.

it’s okay if winter still feels hard some days—it can be a difficult time. but it is also a reminder of whats to come. that brighter, warmer days are ahead. and without winter, we wouldn’t savour their sweetness quite the same.

saves from my pinterest…

i hope if winter is hard for you, that this post inspired you to find a little bit more love for the season.

—kyla 🌙

ps. what is your favourite part of winter? what do you find the most beautiful?

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i started cooking and baking more, mainly as a way to learn a valuable life skill, but it turned into a hobby that i’m very passionate about. i love learning new skills in the kitchen, blending different flavours and techniques to make new dishes, learning the fundamentals of baking and why certain things work. i know everyone has to cook, but turning it into a hobby made it a more intentional part of my day. i love spending time discovering new recipes to try, or testing out a new baked good.

there’s been a huge rise in social media of grandma hobbies and going analogue—it really speaks to everyones desire to disconnect and sink into something real. doing something grounding, that puts your hands and mind to work gently, focusing on a soothing task with a final product you love. they don’t need to be intense hobbies, or difficult, expensive ones. deciding to do something because it brings you joy is a good enough reason. do it imperfectly, with low stakes. you can pick something you can put down with ease, for a while, and its there waiting patiently for your return. even just little activities that can be tucked into the pages of your everyday life.

⭐️ i put a star next to the ones i want to try or continue this year

making:

1. cross stitch/ needlepoint—canvas, ornaments ⭐️

2. knitting/crochet

3. air dry clay—trinket tray, magnets, etc.

4. scrapbooking ⭐️

5. fun with felt — ornaments, birthday crowns

6. pottery/ sculpting

7. jewelry making

8. paper crafts

   

building:

9. re-finishing furniture

10. DIY furniture ⭐️

11. DIY home projects ⭐️

12. model kits — ships

13. doll house building

14. book binding

art:

15. drawing

16. oil paint ⭐️

17. watercolours

18. gauche paints

19. pastels

20. collage making

21. plein air painting — take it outside

easy entry — where everything comes ready to use

22. diamond painting

23. colouring ⭐️

24. lego ⭐️

25. puzzles

26. card games

27. RPGs — try a dnd campaign!

28. paint by number

29. logic puzzles — murdle, crossword, cryptic crossword, sudoku

30. crime case files ⭐️

life skills but make it fun

31. cooking ⭐️

32. baking ⭐️

33. preserves — make jams!

34. flower arranging

35. sewing — quilt!!! embroidery ⭐️

36. caring for items — handwashing, mending, caring for knits and wool etc. de-pill your sweaters ⭐️

37. gardening ⭐️

other

38. photography ⭐️

39. journaling

40. hosting

41. writing — creative, for fun ⭐️

42. personal curriculum for learning

43. thrifting & antiquing — collecting something vintage and old time-y ⭐️

44. zine making

45. genealogy— study your family history

46. reading

take it outside:

47. hiking

48. making field notes

49. cut flower garden ⭐️

50. an outdoor sport — skiing, hiking, volleyball, running, snowshoeing ⭐️

51. bird watching

52. foraging

53. stargazing & astronomy

54. nature sketching

55. photo walks — there might even be a local group or event in your area

movement:

56. yoga

57. dance ⭐️

58. running

59. swimming — oceans and lakes

60. a class— dance class, aerials

61. meditation walks — no audio, focusing gently on breath, each step, and the things around you

62. golf

63. tennis

64. sailing — $$$ to get in

65. pickleball — so easy and cheap to get into!

local clubs & classes :

66. local history club

67. photography club/class ⭐️

68. book club

69. sewing class ⭐️

70. cooking class ⭐️

71. gardening class

72. local theatre — even if you can’t commit to a performance, check what they have! our local theatre does open table reads with no experience necessary.

screens but better:

73. start a substack

74. video gaming ⭐️

75. digital drawing/painting — ipad ‘painting’ tutorials

76. digital collages

77. cinema — make it a hobby by studying, exploring different forms of cinema (silent films, foreign, etc.)

78. learn coding

i love this little list because i think there is truly something for everyone. most of them are screen free, which feels important to me this year. and many of them have a pretty low entry point, no experience needed and either inexpensive, or some even free/using what you already have. hobbies shouldn’t feel stressful, they meet you where you are, and embellish life, adding colour to a plain page. nothing has to be overly perfect or polished, instead just choosing to experience joy for joys sake. it’s grounding to have a little activity to do to help keep you present, without the worry about output, productivity or perfection.

hopefully this post inspired you to try a new hobby, or return to an old favourite. i think with how crazy the world can be, it’s more important than ever to do something just for you—something you love, that loves you back. hobbies are like little devotions to an intentional life.

—kyla ⏾

ps. what hobby are you doing this year?

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much like my autumnal perfumes, my winter scents lean sweet, a little spicy, and warmly familiar. i also find myself reaching for woody notes this time of year—scents that remind me of the forest after fresh snowfall, cold air and evergreens softened by something comforting underneath.

a scent so sweet

Dolce and Gabbana Devotion Intense

The first scent on my list of winter perfumes is Dolce & Gabbana Devotion Intense. I also love the original version (non-intense), but I think the intense wins out just slightly for me. To me, this smells like a Terry’s chocolate orange — my absolute favourite Christmas chocolate. Ever since I was a little kid, I always got a Terry’s chocolate orange on Christmas. They started selling them all year now, but I still hold out and will never buy myself one, I only get them as gifts to maintain that feeling of it being special. The key notes of Devotion Intense are: Hazelnut, Orange Blossom, Madagascar Vanilla.

the vibe: snow falls gently in the moonlight outside. unwrapping a terry’s chocolate orange on christmas eve and having a slice — the first taste of christmas.

Ellis Brooklyn APRÈS Eau de Parfum

Ellis Brooklyn APRÈS is described: “the rush of alpine air, a crisp whiff of evergreens, and the richness of bourbon, praline, and vanilla”, and that 100% fits what it smells like to me. Like the smell of fresh powdered snow, the air when skiing, and the smell of drinks passed around a wooden ski lodge. It’s sweet but not sugary, and I definitely get the woody notes mixed in when I smell it.

the vibe: spending the day skiing before heading into the wooden lodge to sit by the fire, a good drink in hand and surrounded by good company. you can smell the scent of the cocktail mingling with the wooden walls of the lodge.

Replica: by the Fireplace & Jazz Club

I know I included Replica By the Fireplace in my autumn perfume favourites, but it seriously fits winter so well too. The sweet and smoky notes feel like chestnuts roasting on an open fire, the smell of the fire smoke mingling with baked goods in the kitchen. It is VERY smoky and warm. Key notes: Clove Oil, Chestnut Accord, Vanilla Accord.

the vibe: a classic winter day, chestnuts are roasting by an open fire, the snow outside covers the land in a thick white blanket, and you hear Christmas music softly playing in another room.

My next Replica pick for winter is Jazz Club. Jazz club is also a little bit smoky, but no where near as much as By the Fireplace. Instead, Jazz Club is much more boozy and a little romantic. I also find it less sweet. This scent makes me think of a late winter night out on the town in New York City, which makes sense because it’s time and place is Brooklyn, 2013. It smells like cocktails, spice and the faint smell of smoke wafting in. The key notes in Jazz Club are: Pink Pepper, Rum Absolute, Tobacco Leaf Absolute.

the vibe: a late night on the town, snow gently falling while you slip into a jazz club. The live band is playing, you get cozy and warm in a booth, sipping a cocktail while the faint smell of cigarette smoke drifts by your nose.

Jo Malone Ginger Biscuit & Orange Bitters

I have two Jo Malone winter picks — the first is Ginger Biscuit. It was originally brought out years ago, then brought back for holiday 2023 and 2024, and again this year for 2025. This smells exactly like it sounds! Just like a sweet gingerbread cookie. The key notes are: Ginger, Roasted Hazelnut, Tonka Bean.

the vibe: the icy snow sparkles outside under the afternoon sun, while you are warm inside baking and decorating gingerbread houses

The second Jo Malone cologne I wanted to include is Orange Bitters. This is another limited edition holiday scent that’s returned for a few different years. Unlike Ginger Biscuit, this one is much more bitter (hence the name) and of course, citrus-y. To me it smells like zesty orange cocktails. The key notes are: Sweet Orange, Bitter Orange, and Sandalwood.

the vibe: an evening spent with friends playing boardgames on the coffee table in front of the fire. crafting the nights cocktails with orange bitters, clinking glasses while you laugh and play games.

Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille

This is another perfume that I included in my autumn roundup but have to also include here. It’s a sweet, smoky, heavier scent, perfect for winter evenings. I find in autumn and winter I tend to love smoky scents mixed with sweet notes to tone them down a little. The smokey tobacco notes make me picture cold nights, snow falling outside of a decadent cocktail bar. Such a vivid story plays out in my mind when I smell certain things, and I love the aesthetic I pair with this scent.

the vibe: a night spent at an opulent cocktail bar, a fire is crackling in the fireplace, and a band plays live music while snow falls heavily outside.

Phlur vanilla smoke body mist

Plur Vanilla Smoke body mist is perfect to layer a little smoky smell to another perfume. I love layering this over a sweet gourmand to really channel those baked goods in one room, open fireplace crackling in another. It’s so cozy, even on it’s own! The key notes are Cashmere Vanilla, Incense, Cacao Blanc. I love it because it can take one of my regular everyday gourmands and make it feel more autumn/winter-y.

There’s also been a few new scents I want to check out this year, so while they aren’t favourites yet they have a lot of promise.

7 Virtues Buttercream Haze — Described as “decadent vanilla perfume that’s good enough to eat. Notes of buttercream icing, maple caramel crème, and whipped vanilla melt into tonka bean for a delicious long-lasting fragrance scent to savor slowly”, it sounds like the ultimate gourmand for when you want to smell good enough to eat.

Kayali Oudgasm Chocolate — Another gourmand scent that sound sweet enough to eat. I love the idea of a chocolate perfume, I feel like I never see chocolate notes in perfume. This one is described as “A decadent gourmand fragrance that wraps the skin in a warmth that feels both edible and sexy. It opens with the tempting blend of spiced rum and caramel apple, a flirtation of sweetness and spice. As it deepens, velvet orris and incense smolder at the heart, before melting into an addictive base of dark cocoa and chocolate oud.”

Nest Creme De Clementine — This one seems promising for us Terry’s chocolate orange lovers. Described as “An irresistible, joyful citrus gourmand bursting with the bright, sun-drenched scent of clementine zest, swirled together with sweet vanilla cream and rich blond woods to create an addictively delicious confection”. I love a sweet gourmand citrus, so I’m very excited to try this out.

i hope you enjoyed the final instalment of my favourite seasonal perfumes. i’m sure it wont be the last time i talk about my favourite scents, because i just love fragrance and how it makes me feel.

—K

your permission slip to slow down

i have always loved the feeling of a new year, but it also contradicts a little bit with the feelings deep inside me—craving slowness and softness this time of year. january, the start of the new year, falls right in mid-winter. a time where much of the world is still frozen over, hibernating, waiting to emerge in the spring. back in the ancient days, the early roman calendar actually used to begin in march, which feels like it makes so much sense to me. the ground thawing, plants emerging, flowers starting to bloom, animals waking up from their deep sleep. it feels so much more aligned with what nature really wants from us.

imagining little critters still tucked tightly in their beds for the month got me thinking about the ways i find balance this time of year. still embracing the spark of energy and motivation that i feel from the turn of a new year, but also finding moments of stillness, softness, coziness, and warmth. the world is still asking us to be cozy and take it slow, but i don’t want to give up that new years ambition either. it can be hard to find equilibrium between those things. it kind of feels like “hurry up! now slow down….” “do more! now do less…”. if you have been highly motivated this year, like i have been, i think the best way to re-center and find that balance is by being intentional about carving out time to slow down. building stillness and self care into your new years goals. it’s also okay if you haven’t been motivated, and are getting a slower start to the year. you can still plant little seeds that just take a bit longer to bloom.

a fresh start, but low stakes. take your time.

1. refresh your space slowly

   i love the feeling of taking down the christmas decorations. while it is a little sad that the season has come and gone in a flash, it also makes my home feel like a breath of fresh air. still cozy, but renewed. it always makes the house feel bigger, and cleaner. the visual clutter gone, returning the space back to it’s baseline state. this year when you take your decor down, don’t rush or race it. there’s no efficiency prize, so try to enjoy the takedown, even stretching it into a few day process if that feels right. i find i always put christmas away so fast that next year i’m dealing with a mess in all my holiday bins, wishing i spent the time putting it away neatly. taking the time to really appreciate the decorations with memories they carry, and the new memories that were added this year. your future self will thank you when everything is neat and easier to put up again the next holiday season.

2. make organizing a ritual of it’s own

   i also love taking this time of year to organize and re-set the neglected areas of my home—behind closet doors, the back corner of a cabinet, bathroom drawers that haven’t been reset in quite some time. the holiday decor being taken down already makes the space feel light, but knowing that you don’t have a mess hidden carefully behind a door feels so refreshing. it’s a perfect time to make that organization period it’s own little ritual. have a yummy drink, and a playlist or podcast you only listen to while cleaning, light a candle, and treat sorting like a little meditation.

3. a little life

   once you start sorting, you’ll inevitably find some things you’re ready to donate or throw out. with the decor down, and surfaces all cleared off, the house can be left feeling a little empty. i love having fresh flowers on my kitchen counter this time of year. it’s a little treat to hang on to before the flowers return to blooming outside. and flowers are something that you can enjoy for a week or two, then they’re ready to compost, so you’re not bringing in even more clutter. a ‘resolution’ of mine this year is to always have a bouquet or plant on my island, even if it’s just from the grocery store.

4. set gentle intentions

   resolutions are great, but it can be overwhelming to try to think of all the things you want to change or be better at. i love setting resolutions and goals, but the start of january doesn’t have to be the be all, end all. you can start a goal or make a change any time, even if you feel like you ‘missed’ the start of the year, or didn’t get off on the right foot. the old Chinese proverb ‘the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. the second best time is now.’ is so true. now can be whenever feels right. don’t push yourself into making the goals and changes all at once. instead, lean into setting gentle intentions, even just for the month. don’t focus on what you want to work on all year (unless that feels right to you), but instead set just january’s goals. give yourself a few small tasks to ease into the year.

gentle routines & nourishment for the soul

1. ease in to new routines

   you don’t have to commit to new routines and hit the ground running. instead, you can slowly wander into them, testing the water to see how it feels. january can be a bit of a trial run, where you work out what feels best and what doesn’t. trying things out a few times before fully committing to them allows you to bend and change things without it feeling like a ‘failure’. treat january like a bit of an experimentation period, to find your rhythm.

2. tend to your inner world

   take some time this month to sit with yourself and journal. i wont go into all the prompts because i’ve written a few posts with new years journal prompts already that you can read here and here. you can write anything—lists, thoughts, little comforts for january, a story. let your mind wander and see where it ends up.

3. heal through watching & reading

   january is the perfect time to revisit the stories that feel like home. the shows you’ve rewatched a hundred times, or the books whose pages are worn and familiar. i’m big into comfort media, so i love rewatching my old favourites; it feels like getting a hug from an old friend. seek out the books and movies that feel like the warm glow from a fireplace, a reprieve from the cold winters night. there is something so deeply comforting about returning to old favourites.

4. schedule a self care night

   actually schedule it, and keep your plan with yourself. treat your rest like an appointment, not an afterthought. take a night to just completely unwind—run an early bath once the sun goes down, light a candle, and do a full skincare routine. put your phone out of reach and rest and relax without scrolling. a night of unwinding on purpose, without feeling guilt or the weight of what you “should” be doing. whatever feels good to you—do it, with intention.

5. look forward

   with the holidays now behind us, january can feel a little bare—as if the sparkle of the holidays left overnight. give yourself something small and special to look forward to. a little get-together, a self care day, or a simple treat chosen just for this season. it doesn’t have to be big to be meaningful. maybe it’s a candlelit dinner at home with your favourite comfort meal or a mid-january dessert you only make once a year. you could treat yourself to a new book, or journal. turn it into a january tradition—something you can return to each year as a way of making saying goodbye to the holidays a little easier.

lean into seasonal comforts

1. nourish your body and soul

   comfort food is still in. i know that doesn’t always align with resolutions of eating super clean, but nourishing your soul is just as important. have a weekly soup ritual for the rest of the winter, making a new soup each week to warm your body and soul. we’re still deep into the cold months, but having those seasonal comforts makes this time so much more enjoyable.

2. embrace the magic of the season

   i know, i know, going outside when it’s freezing out isn’t necessarily easy. it’s cold and so much easier to just stay inside, but i always feel so good bundling up and getting outside. i also love the cold and the snow, so i guess for me it is a little easier. the fresh air is so good for your body and mind. try getting outside to embrace the beauty this season has to offer, even if its brief and with a warm thermos in hand.

3. take in all the light

   of course with it still being winter, the days are short and the nights are long. with the winter solstice—the darkest night of the year— behind us, each day will start getting just a little lighter. not noticeable at first, but eventually the days will get longer. in the meantime, try to embrace the light we have. wake the house up and open the curtains early in the morning. take a little afternoon walk to get out in the sun. sit by the window and read for a while before the sun goes down again.

i wanted to take a second to share a few things to watch and read through january, both new and old comforts.

comfort movies to curl up with on cold winters nights:

you’ll notice a lot of fantasy on my list. something about january always makes me want to get whisked away into a strange land, and what better way to do that than with cozy fantasy movies with worlds not like our own.

1. alice in wonderland — for when you want to fall into a dream

2. narnia the lion, the witch, and the wardrobe — for when you want a wintery wonderland

3. pretty little liars — for when you want a comfort ‘mystery’. it takes me a while to get through the series, so i like to start in winter! (bring back 25 episode seasons, or else -A)

4. labyrinth — one of my all time favourite movies to get lost in. it will be in theatres for a few days for the 40th anniversary this month!

5. charlie and the chocolate factory — the most whimsical of all. also set in winter so it brings the cozy vibes.

6. frozen — of course. for when you want to be surrounded by snow, comfort characters and sing along.

7. the neverending story — another of my all time favourite comfort movies. when you want to dream a dream.

new shows and movies to dive into:

1. harlan coben’s final twist - january 7th, CBS

   true crime stories expose shocking murders and scandals as investigators peel back layers of deceit to uncover startling revelations and buried secrets. a true crime series while author harlan coben guides viewers through tales of crimes.

2. return to silent hill - january 23rd, in theatres

   when a man receives a mysterious letter from his lost love, he is drawn to silent hill, a once familiar town now consumed by darkness. the third instalment in the Silent till movies, based off the video game silent hill. i love watching my husband play these games… in my restless dreams, i see that town. silent hill.

3. his & hers - january 8th, netflix

   a journalist investigates a murder in her hometown, clashing with a suspicious detective. two sides to every story - someone is lying. a thriller limited series based on the book of the same title by alice feeney.

4. agatha christie’s seven dials - january 15th, netflix

   in 1925, a country house party prank turns deadly. lady eileen “bundle” brent investigates the chilling murder plot. lady caterham and superintendent battle assist in solving the country house mystery that changes bundle’s life. based on one of christie’s lesser known mysteries.

5. shrinking (season 3) - january 28th, appleTV

   a grieving therapist starts to tell his clients exactly what he thinks. ignoring his training and ethics, he finds himself making huge changes to people’s lives - including his own. a cozy watch that combines comedy and drama.

6. people we meet on vacation - january 9th, netflix

   poppy wants to explore the world and alex prefers to stay home with a good book, but somehow they are the very best of friends. they live far apart, but for a decade they have spent one week of summer vacation together. based on the romance book of the same name by emily henry.

7. a knight of the seven kingdoms - January 18th, HBO

   a century before GOT, ser duncan the tall, and his squire, egg, wandered through westeros while the targaryen dynasty ruled the iron throne, and dragons were still remembered. great destinies and enemies await the incomparable friends. i still haven’t watched game of thrones, but i want to watch the full series and prequel series’ this year.

New books to add to your TBR

1. dear debbie by freida mcfadden — january 27th

   advice columnist debbie mullen has spent years helping other women navigate unhappy marriages. but when her own life begins to fall apart — her job gone, her family fractured, and her husband hiding secrets — debbie decides it’s finally time to take her own advice.

2. anatomy of an alibi by ashley elston — january 13th

   out-of-towner camille bayliss has the perfect life—or so it seems. to uncover her husband’s secrets, she enlists aubrey price to impersonate her for twelve hours. but when ben is found murdered the next morning, both women must cover their tracks, and one false move could ruin everything.

3. my husband’s wife by alice feeney — january 20th

   when artist eden fox returns home from a run, her key won’t fit — and the woman inside claims to be her, with her husband insisting the stranger is his wife. meanwhile, months earlier, a woman named birdy inherits the same seaside estate and uncovers secrets that blur truth, identity, and intent. in this twist‑filled psychological thriller, nothing is as it seems — and the line between love and deception unravels with lethal consequences.

4. such sheltered lives by alyssa sheinmel — january 20th

   rush’s recovery promises the ultra-wealthy discretion and luxury, but secrets have a way of surfacing. when a body is discovered, three high-profile guests — a troubled aristocrat, a rock star’s daughter, and a scandal-weary pop star — find that no therapy, chef, or private cottage can shield them from danger. in the hamptons’ most exclusive rehab, the past is deadly, and not everyone will check out alive.

5. a vow in vengeance by jaclyn rodriguez — january 13th

   rune ryker has lost everything to the immortals—her family, her home, her freedom—but she refuses to play by their rules. chosen to endure the cutthroat forge, a school for the immortal druids’ tarot magic, she discovers a power so rare it draws deadly attention—and the reluctant aid of the arrogant prince draven. as secrets, danger, and forbidden attraction collide, rune must fight to survive—and to protect the kingdom from a war only she can ignite.

6. woman down by colleen hoover — january 13th

   after a viral backlash derails her career, novelist petra rose retreats to a secluded lakeside cabin, desperate for inspiration. but when detective nathaniel saint arrives with unsettling news, their “research” sessions spark a rush of creativity—and desire. as fantasy and reality blur, petra must navigate passion, obsession, and the cost of reclaiming the story of her life.

7. meet the newmans by jennifer niven — january 6th

   for two decades, the fewmans have been america’s favorite family, perfect on-screen and flawless in public. but by 1964, their ratings—and their lives—are crumbling. secrets, scandals, and shifting ambitions threaten to unravel them, and only an unlikely alliance with a young reporter can help dinah and her family navigate love, identity, and the price of perfection before it’s too late.

8. the seven daughters of dupree by nikesha elise williams — january 27th

   in 1995, fourteen-year-old tati is determined to uncover her father’s identity, but her mother and grandmother keep the family’s past shrouded in secrets. spanning seven generations of dupree women—from an ancestor who risked everything for freedom to the daughters shaped by love, loss, and resilience—the seven daughters of dupree is a powerful tale of heritage, survival, and the unbreakable bonds of black women across time.

i hope you enjoyed this little monthly guide as much as i loved making it. january can contain multitudes: there is space to relax and slow down, while still harnessing that new year push of motivation. allow yourself to feel both and lean into whichever you need more of. 🤍✨🕯️🌙

—Kyla⏾

ps. let me know what’s on your to watch/ read list this month. or what ways you find balance between ambition and slowness this time of year ♡

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she beat herself up, comparing her stillness to their movement, her stuck-ness to their freedom. she wondered why she was trapped, and how everyone else had managed to slip out of their own towers so easily. if only she could re-trace their footsteps, copy what they had done, re-create the success of those who had climbed down before her.

as she gazed out her window, she watched the people she wished she could be like — a successful shop owner strolling by with morning bread, a ballet dancer prancing across the square, a writer lost in thought, a mother laughing with her children in the park, an artist carrying home paint-stained rags. each were wrapped in a purpose she craved and a certainty that felt just out of reach for her.

and so she stood in the tower, frozen, as time passed by like the wind through the trees. everyone else kept moving, progressing, becoming, while she remained in her tower, waiting for success, but worried it might never find her there.

i’m often kept up at night—or in the wee hours of the morning—thinking about everything i have to do, and all the ways i feel so behind in life. it’s so easy to fall into comparison, especially when it comes to social media. seeing everyones life in a highlight reel, all the best moments like graduations, promotions, marriage and kids, buying a new car or house. it’s easy to feel like life is somehow so much easier for everyone else— like the people you follow don’t have to try quite as hard, that success just comes naturally to them, or that they never have to worry about something as small as a bill going through. it can seem like nobody else lies awake wishing so badly for things that feel out of reach. in their world, every goal is met and surpassed, every home is perfectly clean, social calendars are full, and there’s somehow still time in their day for workouts and self-care.

join me around the table

and then there I am, on the outside of it all. i don’t fully know what i want to do, and i feel pulled a million different ways. i feel so behind in so many ways, and it feels like i can’t just choose a path and stick to it. i have so many big ideas of what i want out of life that it feels paralyzing to choose a single path. i know the life i want to live, but it feels like no matter what i do, i just can’t get there. like everyone else has a secret book with a step by step plan, and i’ve somehow lost my copy.

it’s so easy to feel like we’re behind in life. like there is some secret plan and road we’re all supposed to take, if only you can find the proper turn to go down. but the truth of course, is that there is no perfect timeline. what’s meant for someone at a certain point in their life will find you when you need it, too. the universe hasn’t forgotten you, you haven’t been left behind, and there is so much still to come. (these are all things i often have to remind myself, so maybe you, dear reader, need to hear them too). it’s so important to remember that you shouldn’t compare your full life to someone else’s highlight reel. people post the good, not often the bad. they post the promotion, not the countless hours of work they had to put in to get there. they post buying the house, but not the struggle of living off ramen for a year to help save up for the downpayment. obviously not everyone needs to do those things, but it’s important to keep in mind not just the destination, but the journey each person had to take to get there. don’t compare your halfway down the road to someone else’s end destination.

while it can feel overwhelming, and sometimes quite deflating to feel behind, i also try to think of it as a gift of its own. how wonderful is it to see that there is more to strive for? nothing worth having comes easy, and they often say if you’re the most successful/smartest/whatever-est in the room, you’re in the wrong room. seeing what other people have achieved shouldn’t be a reminder of what you don’t have, but rather whats still out there for you to strive for. see them as inspiration, and a reminder that the things you want are possible.

often people say “comparison is the thief of joy” and i do agree with that in a way. to compare yourself sometimes means thinking the grass is always greener in someone else’s yard, and not seeing the beauty growing in your own garden. but i also think comparison and gratitude can co-exist, mixing and mingling into one beautiful thing. there is room within us to feel both things fully, and to honour those feelings and shape them into something magical. instead of trying to banish a very normal feeling like comparison, learning to channel it into growth is so much more rewarding.

i always felt like this sense of comparison was something i needed to outgrow in order to truly be successful. as though i couldn’t possibly hit the same level of success of those i look up to when i see myself as ‘beneath’ them. but what i’ve come to realize is that this feeling is a part of the growth that’s going to get me where i want to be. it’s a feeling that reminds me i know i’m meant for more, and puts a certain kind of trust in myself and in the universe that if i continue to work, i know i’ll get where i want to be. my path there may look different, but that doesn’t mean its any less valuable.

i can think of so many times where i’ve been out on long drives, and i took a road less travelled. i’m always met with the most wonderful views that i would have never seen if i took the quickest way. some people are driving on the highway, the fastest way to get to the destination, but often with no sights to see or stops along the way. i’m choosing to be okay with getting to my stop a bit slower, and enjoying more of what the journey has to offer. that doesn’t mean it’s always easy to see others get where i want to be and know i’m not there yet — it can still be painful — but those pains are growing pains, getting me ready to step into everything that’s meant for me.

it’s easy to fall into the trap of measuring yourself against someone else’s success, as if following their steps could somehow shortcut your own journey. but their path was never yours to take — it’s shaped by choices, timing, and experiences that are so specific to them and their life. comparison can sting, but it can also remind you that your work, your rhythm, your way of moving through the world, is what makes you an individual. it’s a reminder that the only way forward is to honour your own pace, explore the directions that feel true to you, and trust that your path, though different, will lead you to what’s meant for you. your journey is what makes your success uniquely yours, and it makes the fruits of your labour taste so much sweeter.

i’m trying to see my struggle to commit to a single path as a gift rather than a burden. i have so many interests, each one so meaningful to me in its own way, that i get to dedicate my time and energy to. instead of a singular focus or goal, i have a tapestry of passions that all deserve attention, and that richness can feel overwhelming at times. some days, i find myself paralyzed by the question of what to do first, what to give my energy to, or which path to follow — and yet, that in itself is a luxury. how lucky am i to care so deeply, and to have so many corners of life that feel alive and vibrant to me? to be surrounded by ideas, curiosities, and things i want to explore is to be given a world full of possibility every day. my indecision is not a weakness; it’s evidence that i’m engaging with a life that is wide, rich, and full of meaning — a life i get to shape, even if slowly, in my own way. my life is like a clay that i am carefully molding into my own perfect sculpture.

lately i’ve been trying to meet comparison with a little more gratitude and curiosity. instead of letting someone else’s highlight reel make me feel small, i’m learning to pause and wonder what their life might be showing me. maybe their success is simply proof that the things i hope for aren’t impossible. maybe their routines can whisper ideas in my mind, rather than reminders of what i lack. then, i can turn that gentle attention back towards my own days. i can notice the things i have that are worth being grateful for, and shape that comparison into inspiration. comparison doesn’t have to close me in; sometimes it can motivate me, guiding me toward who I want to become.

someone else’s success is not your failure, and their moment in the sun doesn’t dim the light you’re meant to grow in. there is room at the table for all of us, and nothing wrong with arriving to the dinner party fashionably late. hopefully this can serve as your reminder that when you see someone else win, it can be a gentle reassurance that there’s space for your win too, whenever it arrives. you’re not competing for a single seat; each of us are carving out a place that only we can fill.

—kyla ⏾

ps. how do you feel about deciding to let comparison linger, rather than trying to push the feeling down?

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This is the third seasonal perfume post I’ve written, so I’m sure if you have read the others you know I love a seasonal scent wardrobe. I’m a gourmand girl through and through, especially for my regular everyday perfumes. I narrowed this down to perfumes that feel specifically autumnal to me, rather than including every sweet scent I love, so it’s not a full list of all my favourite gourmands. I did however, include some honourable mentions at the end of gourmands I love, incase you typically save those for fall and winter scents.

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Replica: By the Fireplace and Coffee Break

By the Fireplace by Maison Margiela Replica has got to be one of my all time favourite autumnal scents. It’s truly the pinnacle of fall fragrance. It’s described as ‘A unisex, spicy, and woody cologne that combines roasted chestnuts with intensely smoky clove oil and sweet vanilla to recreate the warmth and coziness of a crackling fire.’ To me, it truly smells like a cracking fire, but that smokiness is balanced out by the sweet vanilla notes. Key notes: Clove Oil, Chestnut Accord, Vanilla Accord.

the vibe: curled up by a fireplace on a cool autumn night, the warm smell of baking travels in from the kitchen, the scent mingling with the fire smoke.

Another Replica pick for fall - Coffee Break. Unlike By the Fireplace which is ultra warm, this scent almost smells a bit cooler to me. It really does smell like a freshly brewed coffee but it also has notes of lavender, milk, some fruity notes as well as spearmint. To me, it’s a perfect autumnal scent because it reminds me of spending cool fall days in a cafe — one of my favourite things to do. Key notes: Coffee Accord, Lavender, Milk Mousse Accord.

the vibe: sitting in a cafe all day working, reading, and people watching while you sip a coffee and enjoy a slice of pumpkin loaf.

Honourable Replica mention: Whispers in the Library — this scent was (devastatingly) discontinued, but I have to mention it because if you love the smell of books and can get your hands on a bottle somehow, you need it. To me it smells like a library, the smell of new books but also older leather bound books. It’s a little sweet but not sugary at all, and a little woody but not really musky. Key notes: pepper, benzoin and vanilla, and cedar wood. I have an almost full bottle that I am cherishing and savouring, praying they bring it back one day.

Nest: Vanilla Bourbon

Vanilla Bourbon by Nest is such a perfect autumn vanilla fragrance. I think all vanilla scents work well for fall and winter, but this one is particularly perfect because it’s a little bit heavier and deeper than some of the lighter sugary vanillas I like as everyday, non seasonal scents. It’s so rich and sweet, but still has a little bit of musk to it. Key notes: Vanilla Bourbon, Brown Sugar, Night Blooming Jasmine.

the vibe: on a romantic late nigh date, candle lit ambiance and intimate whispers.

Kilian: Angels’ Share

This is seriously one of my favourite fall and winter scents — Angels’ Share by Kilian. It’s sweet, boozy and richly layered. Described by Kilian as: “Angels’ Share is Kilian Hennessy's most personal fragrance creation yet, inspired by his eighth-generation inheritance of Hennessy savoir-faire in cognac making. The perfume goes deep into the cellars of founder's mind and memory, and into its most mysterious dimension: "la part des anges" or "angels' share"— an evaporation of liquor in oak barrels that lifts, while aging, like a silent offering to the gods. The key notes: Opening with cognac oil, upon a blend of oak absolute, cinnamon essence, tonka bean absolute, as well as notes of sandalwood, praline and vanilla.

To me, it somehow smells like freshly baked apple pie and I love it.

I also love Angels Share Paradis Extrait de parfum which is in the same family. To me this one smells very similar to the original, but a bit deeper and maybe spicier? The key notes are: Raspberry Liquor, Cognac, Oakmoss Absolute.

the vibe: tucked away in the corner booth of a historic cottage tavern. It’s a cool autumn night, and the smell of apple pie baking mixes with brandy barrels kept behind the bar.

Tom Ford: Lost Cherry

The next perfume might not seem like a particularly autumnal choice, but Tom ford Lost Cherry is a great fall scent to me. It’s rich and sweet, but not overly sugary. It’s almost sour cherry candy scented, but the other notes pair with it to make it smell so decadent and sexy. I love a cherry scent for the fall because it reminds me of cherry pie,

Black Cherry, Tonka Bean, Almond

the vibe: the smell of tart cherry mixes with the sweetness of vanilla while baking a cherry pie on a cool autumn evening.

Kayali: Eden Juicy Apple

Okay the next two perfumes are perfect for autumn, especially September. Kayali Eden Juicy Apple is exactly what it sounds like — a juicy apple perfume. It really does smell like the juiciest, sweetest red apples. We love going apple picking every fall, and I can’t think of a more perfect perfume to wear for that. Key notes: Juicy Red Apple, Wild Berries, Jasmine

the vibe: apple picking on a crisp clear autumn day, you stop and bite into the brightest red apple you can find on the tree

Ellis Brooklyn: Apple Love and Queens Caramel

In line with the last perfume, Apple Love by Ellis Brooklyn is another perfect autumn apple picking perfume. This one I find a little sweeter than the Kayali, and not quite as fresh but still delicious. I really want to try pairing it with Ellis Brooklyn’s newest perfume: Queens Caramel for a caramel apple mix. Key notes of Apple Love: Red Apple, Sugar Cane, Vanilla Madagascar. Key notes of Queens Caramel: Caramel, Whipped Coconut, Milky Musks.

the vibe: spending the day wandering through an autumn market, you stop for a treat at a stand selling the most delicious caramel apples.

Phlur: Caramel Skin Body Mist

I love a caramel scent for fall. I think it just reminds me of caramel apples or deserts. Caramel Skin body mist by Phlur definitely fits the bill. It’s a body mist so it is much ligther and not as long lasting as an eau de parfum would be, but I love this scent on its own or layered. I find it goes with so many perfumes — you could pair it with something smoky like By the Fireplace, and I also love it paired with fruity scents to smell like a fresh baked desert. Key notes: Bergamot, Caramel Cream, Sandalwood

the vibe: spending an evening in, doing some fall baking with a candle lit and gilmore girls softly playing from your laptop on the counter.

Commodity: Book

Commodity Book is a bit different than the others on the list — it’s really not sweet at all, and very woody. Despite being called book, it doesn’t really smell like a book to me. I find it smells like damp wood in a forest after a fresh rain. The key notes are: Bergamot, Sandalwood, and Cedarwood. I would suggest not blind buying this though, as I can tell it would not be for everyone. It’s pretty unique but I love it. I adore a woodsy scent for the fall — it reminds me of autumn road trips and hikes through the woods.

the vibe: going on an autumn road trip, and stopping at a trail to walk through the woods when the rain lets up.

Tom Ford: Tobacco Vanille

Warning, the price on this one is a doozy… Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille is such a great smoky autumn scent. To me, it’s the perfect blend of sweet and smoke, and it’s definitely a rich and kind of heavy scent (as I find with all Tom Ford fragrance). Online it’s described as “Tobacco Vanille is opulent, warm, and iconic. Reminiscent of an English gentleman‘s club and blended with rich spices, vanilla, and tobacco flower, it leaves a powerful impression.” Which I definitely get from the warmth and the smokiness. To me, it smells more like a warm fireplace smoke.

the vibe: curling up under a warm blanket on a cool autumn night, the wind blowing the branches so they tap on your window

Honourable Mentions:

It was a little harder for me to figure out specifically fall scents that I love, because as a gourmand girl a lot of what I wear all year are warm, sweet scents. I wanted to include some of my favourite gourmands here that I think are great for fall, but that I still wear the rest of the year.

YSL Black Opium Le Parfum:I love the whole YSL Black Opium line, but specifically the Le Parfum. It’s so sweet and a little more intense than the original. Key Notes: White Floral Bouquet, Vanilla Quartet, Coffee Accord. I will say I don’t notice the floral at all, to me this scent is very vanilla and I get a slight hint of the coffee.

YSL: Black Opium Over Red: Very similar to both the OG Black Opium and the Le Parfum, only this one features cherry! It’s still very sweet and vanilla heavy, but the cherry adds an interesting twist that I love. Key notes: Cherry Accord, Coffee Accord, Vanilla Infusion

Kayali Vanilla 28: One of my favourite vanilla scents ever. I wear it all year, but if you are someone who likes to keep gourmand scents for autumn and winter, this is a perfect vanilla. Key notes: Vanilla Orchids, Tonka Absolute, Amber Woods. I will say, this perfume gets sweeter and better with time — you can let it mature and the colour gets really dark and thats when you know it’s at its sweetest.

7 Virtues Vanilla Woods: Between this and the Kayali I struggle to pick my favourite vanilla perfume. Vanilla woods is perfect if you want to truly smell like REAL vanilla — it smells like vanilla extract and is so sweet and delicious, and almost a little juicy because of the pear note. Key notes: Pear, Rose, Vanilla. I don’t really smell the rose as it isn’t floral to me at all personally.

Rare Beauty Rare Eau de Parfum: I smelled this for the first time in store the other day and I was SO pleasantly surprised. I didn’t have super high hopes — I honestly never do with celebrity brands, I thought it would smell pretty generic but I was wrong. I really loved the way Rare eau de parfum smelled on. It’s rich and sweet and so yummy. Key notes: Caramel, Vanilla, Sandalwood. This will be my next perfume purchase I think!

Hopefully you enjoyed this instalment of my favourite seasonal perfumes!

Love, K

The other day, I was smelling one of my very favourite summer perfumes - Beach Walk by Replica - and I was instantly transported to a hot, sunny day, driving to the beach with R, windows down, salt air carrying a cool breeze. I love that my seasonal perfumes hold these memories, and switching out my scents for the season - like changing over my wardrobe - brings such a feeling of anticipation and joy for the season to come.

Scent really helps me romanticize each season we’re in, curating a specific vibe for the seasons. For summer I love fragrances with salt notes, as well as coconut (obviously), sandalwood, vetiver, and citrus. I also love those notes in my home scents, as well as those notes paired with some florals like jasmine and orange blossom.

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Replica: Beach Walk, and Under the Lemon Trees

Of course I’m going to lead with Beach Walk by Replica. I love replica fragrances because they really do create fragrances based on feelings and memories. All of their scents are based around a specific vibe - a time and place you are transported to when you smell the scents. The key notes of Beach Walk are: bergamot, ylang-ylang, and coconut milk. To me, this is my ultimate summer smell. It’s one both me and my partner now associate with summer and it makes us feel nostalgic for summers past, and excited for summer to come again.

How Maison Margiela describe Beach Walk:

To me it almost smells sunscreen-y. It’s beachy, warm, a little salty and just delicious.

the vibe: driving to the beach, windows down and the wind in your hair. You feel the sun on your skin, and smell the salt carried by the ocean air.

Another Replica honourable mention that I LOVE for summer is Under the Lemon Trees. The key notes are kalamansi lime, green coriander and cedarwood. To me this is a perfect summer scent that isn’t coconut or salty. It’s a little different but still evokes that feeling of a gorgeous sunny day. The way Replica describes it (and I 100% agree):

the vibe: wandering through a lemon tree orchard on a sunny summer afternoon. you stop to sit under the shade of one of the trees to read. the sun dances on your skin through the leaves blowing in the breeze.

Jo Malone: Wood Sage and Sea Salt, and Beach Blossom

Another very classic summer fragrance staple for me is Wood Sage and Sea Salt by Jo Malone. I’ve been wearing this every summer for the last probably 5 years(maybe more!) The key notes are: Ambrette Seeds, Sea Salt, and Sage. To me this scent is bright, fresh, and smells like being on a rocky coast on a warm summer day. It’s beachy, but definitely not tropical. As a Nova Scotian, it reminds me of a classic East Coast summer, but I also picture Cape Cod, Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard vibes.

the vibe: a sunny day walking along a rocky shore, the cool breeze carrying the salty spray of the waves breaking.

Another Jo Malone fragrance I love for summer is their newest launch, Beach Blossom. I fell in love with this scent as soon as I smelled it. The key notes are: lime, coconut water, and vanilla. I love the blend of those notes because it’s not too much of any one thing. I feel like they achieved a perfect balance of the coconut making it beachy and summery, the lime adding a subtle note of citrus, and the vanilla keeping it a little warm.

the vibe: A slow evening spent reading at the beach. A fresh limeonade in hand. The warm breeze caries the gentle smell of sunscreen and sea water.

Maison Louie Marie: No. 4 Bois De Balincourt, and No. 13 Nouvelle Vague

Bois De Balincourt by Maison Louie Marie is another summer staple I’ve been wearing for the last few years. I absolutely LOVE this scent. It’s warm and woody, with notes of sandalwood, vetiver, and amber wood. Despite it being described as warm woods fragrance, I find it fresh and inviting. It’s woody but still feminine, and t

the vibe: a bright summer sunday morning with all the windows open. Freshly clean white cotton sheets on the clothes line blowing in the breeze.

I also LOVE Nouvelle Vague by Maison Louis Marie for summer. This one is a lot more ‘traditionally’ summer with key notes of: coconut, tuscan fig, and amber. It’s warm and sweet. The coconut does give it that classic kind of sunscreen smell (Please note, I say this as a term of endearment) and the fig and amber make it warm and delicious.

the vibe: a sweet summer evening picnic in the park. The sky is painted with golden, pink and purple hues, and the smell of the sweet baked goods you brought are carried on the warm breeze.

Skylar Salt Air

Salt Air by SKYLAR is the epitome of a salty summer perfume. The key notes are: driftwood, sea salt, and seaweed. To me it smells fresh and bright, oceanic and salty of course, but still sweet and feminine. I LOVE this perfume for summer - one of my favourite salt note fragrances, and it’s been a staple for me the last few years.

the vibe: an afternoon on a hot summer day, spent out on a boat cruising through the ocean. the sea spray gently caresses your skin and the air smells fresh and clean.

Ellis Brooklyn SALT

Now despite this also being a blue fragrance with salt in the name, SALT by Ellis Brooklyn is quite different! It’s not actually super salty smelling, it’s much more soft and warm with key notes of ylang ylang, tahitian tiare, ambergris. I love this scent because it’s still beachy but it’s light and soft.

the vibe: walking on the beach during a pale pastel sunrise. The breeze is gentle, and the water is calm.

Valentino Born in Roma Green Stravaganza

This is very different from all the other perfumes I’ve recommended. Valentino Born in Roma Green Stravaganza is described as a warm and floral. The key notes are: tea accord, jasmine, and vanilla. Despite being described as a warm floral, to me this perfume smells like green sour candy. Think like sour patch kids, or a sweet but sour juicy cocktail. It’s slightly floral but not in a traditional way.

the vibe: a sunny afternoon on a patio, fresh flowers on the tables, sipping on a sour, refreshing drink.

LoveShackFancy Love on the Beach

Love on the Beach by LoveShackFancy is another perfume that is pure summer suncreen-y bliss. This perfume also just launched this year, and ever since I first smelled it I’ve been obsessed. The key notes are frangipani, coconut, salt water. I find this perfume a perfect mix of beachy and fresh but still soft and creamy. There are some musk notes as well to help it wear warmer on the skin. It’s delicious.

the vibe: a warm sunset on the beach with your love. laying on a blanket, listening to the waves and the sound of laughter in the distance.

Phlur Tangerine Boy

Another citrus summer scent. Tangerine Boy by Phlur is the ultimate juicy citrus perfume. This scent is fresh, zesty, and so juicy, it literally smells like freshly sliced tangerines. The key notes are: tangerine(of course), lemon, and amber. I love this scent because it’s a bit different than what I typically go for in summer, but it’s SO bright and delicious.

the vibe: a hot, sunny afternoon spent tanning in the yard. UV 10, fresh squeezed orange juice and lemonade on rotation all day.

Dior Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet

You may think this should have been in my spring perfume favourites, but to me Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet is the perfect summer floral scent. It actually doesn’t smell that floral to me - it’s more bright and almost a little sour (a good sour, like a sour candy). The key notes are: damascus rose, peony, white musk. It’s also a kind of light smell compared to some of the others in the Miss Dior line.

the vibe: a day date to a beautiful garden on a warm summer afternoon. Stopping to smell all the flowers while a gentle warm breeze blows through your hair.

Dolce&Gabbana Light Blue

An old classic for a reason. Light Blue by Dolce&Gabbana is like the OG summer vibes perfume. It’s light, fresh and bright. I find this perfume so gentle and inspiring, and it’s stood the test of time for me and many others. It’s a quintessential Italian summer bottled in a fragrance. The key notes are Sicilian lemon, apple, and cedarwood.

I also love the Light Blue Summer Vibes version of this scent. It smells similar to the original, and includes notes of calabrian bergamot, peach and cedarwood.